Guringai Festival

Local Inspirations, 2008, Jessica Birk, acrylic on canvas board

Guringai Festival 2009 - Star Dreaming

25 May - 12 July 2009

Founded in 2001, the Guringai Festival aims to raise awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the Northern Sydney region. The festival starts the day before Sorry Day on the 26 May through to the end of NAIDOC week, the second week in July each year.

The Festival involves ten councils and numerous reconciliation and community groups. Events include workshops, art exhibitions, performances, films and talks.

Download the Guringai Festival Brochure 2009 - 868 KB

Flat Rock Gully Bushwalk

Saturday 20 June, 1pm - 3pm
Flat Rock Gully, Naremburn
FREE event

Take a journey of discovery about Aboriginal Culture with an Aboriginal Heritage Officer, Athena Mumbulla. Bring water and a snack. Meet at the end of Market St (off Dawson Street) Naremburn. Bookings essential on 9777 7755.

Mowbray Park Bushwalk

Saturday 4 July, 1pm - 3pm
Mowbray Park, Lane Cove West
FREE event

Take a journey of discovery about Aboriginal Culture with an Aboriginal Heritage Officer, Athena Mumbulla. Bring water and a snack. Meet at the round-about, Avro Crescent off Avian Crescent, Lane Cove West. Bookings essential on 9777 7755.

Reconciliation Student Writing Competition

Competition opens Monday 25 May
Competition closes Friday 5 June

Willoughby City Council and Harbour to Hawkesbury Reconciliation Group are again conducting a writing competition open to students years 5 to 9 across the Northern Sydney region. Students are asked to write a piece based on this year’s topic - ‘Imagine you find yourself in a remote Aboriginal community; write about the things you experience that could promote Reconciliation’. Great prizes on offer which will be presented to the winners by the Mayor of Willoughby on the evening of Tuesday 30 June 2009.

For more information phone 9777 7985.

Local Inspirations: artworks and sculptures by artist Jessica Birk and Chatswood Primary School Students

Monday 22 June to Friday 10 July
9am - 5pm (Monday to Friday)
Foyer Exhibition Space, 31 Victor Street, Chatswood
FREE event

Local artist Jessica Birk and Chatswood Public School students collaborate to produce a dynamic exhibition of paintings, works on paper and quirky sculptures. Jessica employs the powerful whale motif, found in Aboriginal sites across the Northern Sydney Region, to examine the crucial role of mark making and symbols in Aboriginal Culture and Heritage. A key Guringai Festival event organised by Willoughby City Council with the support of the Aboriginal Heritage Office.

For more information phone 9777 7972.

Darug Guringai Elders Group - Art Exhibition

Monday 6 July, 5:30pm
Level 6, 31 Victor Street, Chatswood
FREE event

Willoughby City Council will host a dinner for The Darug Guringai Elders Group at which they are presented with a blank canvas on which to create their work based on the Guringai Festival theme of “Star Dreaming”. One week later the paintings are completed and hung outside Willoughby City Council Chambers. A Mayoral reception will be held to celebrate the work and the Elders Groups’ achievements on Monday 6 July. The Guringai Festival Childrens’ Choir will perform in traditional language at the event.

For more information phone 9777 7985.

History of the Guringai Festival

Before the founding of the Guringai Festival in 2001, many Councils in the northern Sydney Region participated in reconciliation programs such as Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week with their own Civic programs, receptions, awards and performances.

A sea of hands in support of Aboriginal culture In 2001 Manly, Warringah and Pittwater Councils together with various community groups incorporated all their Reconciliation Day and NAIDOC Week events across the northern beach peninsula under one ‘festival’ umbrella. It was decided that the festival would be named 'The Guringai Festival - Footprints on the Peninsula'.

In 2003, Willoughby, Lane Cove, North Sydney, Hornsby and Kuringai Councils joined the partnership together with more local community and reconciliation groups. 2006 saw Taronga Zoo and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority commence their participation in the festival

The Guringai Festival is unique in incorporating events from across ten Local Governments across Northern Sydney working together to celebrate Aboriginal culture and heritage, one of the oldest cultures in the world.

Children dance as part of the Guringai Festival The Guringai Festival Committee works actively to promote awareness and understanding of Australia’s indigenous culture by encouraging participation in the annual festival and its art and cultural programs. The Festival runs each year from late May (National Sorry Day) through to mid July (NAIDOC week) and is a joint project between ten local government areas based on the traditional lands of the Guringai people as well as community groups and other government departments.