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Dreamworld Corroboree’s historic stand-alone Indigenous attraction
supplied by Kym Richardson 3 March 2014
D
reamworld is proud to be the first leisure based attraction to launch a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and now the first theme park in Australia to present the stories of this country’s Indigenous peoples in a stand-alone attraction. It is our humble contribution to Australia’s on-going journey of reconciliation. This attraction has been created with invaluable assistance and approval from members of many Indigenous language groups and peoples: • Kamilaroi mob of SouthWestern Queensland • Savannah Ewamian, Western Yalanji, Mamu Ngadjon and Rainforest Peoples of
Northern Queensland • Nyikina people of the Kimberley region • Kooma mob of Western Queensland • Moon-Bird people of Tasmania • People of the Torres Strait Islands • Yugambeh language group of the Gold Coast and surrounds. Our gratitude to these and the many other Indigenous contributors who made this possible. Dreamworld is pleased to present DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE, where a unique and positive celebration of Aboriginal culture is brought to life through visitor experiences. Dreamworld Corroboree – a ground up approach. The DREAMWORLD
CORROBOREE story goes back to October 2006 when the concept was initially tabled by the Ardent Board of Directors. The concept was to create a world within Dreamworld where traditional stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities could be told alongside associated key animal exhibits. It would take a further five years of development before a TQUAL grant for $100,000 enabled the research and development into an Indigenous tourism experience at Dreamworld. Then, in July last year, Dreamworld was successfully awarded the Australian Government grant to work with community locals and bring the project into fruition. For Al Mucci, Dreamworld’s General Manager Life Sciences, the project was a dream come alive as
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he set the wheels in motion through his connections with various Indigenous communities. The aim of DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE was to celebrate the culture of Australia’s Indigenous people and their connection with the land and animals, and provide visitors with a better understanding of Indigenous history and achievements. The project would allow opportunities to interact with Indigenous people and learn from them. Taking a ‘ground up’ approach the key elements to developing DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE were: • Develop a business approach towards Indigenous culture • Develop Indigenous Employment Strategy and Cultural Awareness Induction Program • Collect traditional stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities • Tell the Indigenous stories associated with key animal exhibits • Create places and media for exhibiting Indigenous cultures • Create an educational facility for teaching exciting Indigenous culture • Murrify our existing wildlife area (‘Murrify’ is a Dreamworld word that was born out of our relationship with the Murri group in Queensland – we are murrifying our business, our products, our operations, processes and guest interaction) Dreamworld commissioned Indigenous cultural consultant and entertainer, David Dahwurr Hudson to deliver the entertainment and interactive components. David
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worked with the local Yugambeh language people of the Gold Coast to script a story for the local performers, which also make up the audio-visuals of the project. “Woven into the experiences is a cross-section of culture and legendary stories including Mabo, Dreamtime, men and women’s business, the Tasmanian Devil, the Kimberleys and even the Far North,” David said. DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE allows everyone to share the vibrancy, the warmth, the humour and the wisdom of the world’s oldest living culture. It is an interactive walk-through experience celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, wildlife and stories. Guests are invited to personally engage with Indigenous Interpretation Officers and experience their culture through activities including face painting,
fire-making, music-making, animal talks, weapons demonstrations and wildlife presentations. The central focal point of DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE is a ‘humpy’ called the Corroboree Theatre featuring “Creation of the Gold Coast” – a film produced for Corroboree about the local Yugambeh people’s story. Inside the Corroboree Theatre is digital dot painting, Indigenous stories, the Tindale map of the Indigenous tribe boundaries throughout Australia, a Rainbow Serpent Snake and animated films. Aboriginal stories are shared through Dreamworld’s unique Australian wildlife and guests are encouraged to see the animals through the eyes of the associated local clans and tribes. Guests are also be able to intermingle with the wildlife in a natural environment, including Koalas, Kangaroos and
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Cassowaries, and appreciate the likes of our largest reptile, the Saltwater Crocodile. At DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE guests are fully immersed into our Indigenous world, including: • Australian native wildlife interaction • Live performance • The local Yugambeh people’s story showcased in a short film • Digital Dot painting • Fire-making • Music-making • Animal talks • Weapons demonstrations • Storytelling including Animal Totems to represent our Wildlife
DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE is marked with totems to cover four unique landscapes of Australia: In Aboriginal culture, all things are connected and all things may be ‘totems’. A totem is a symbol or emblem that a mob or an individual may be connected to. 1. Rainforest: Cassowary Accessed through the Yugambeh entrance, guests can walk through the natural home of the Cassowary on a boardwalk decorated with colourful totems. At the end of the walk, guests will find our weapons demonstration and traditional weapons area where everyone can try their hand at age-old skills of survival. The Rainforest landscape also
continues to the aviary where guests will find Dreamworld’s newest animal residents, the Tree Kangaroos. Uncle Ernie of the Mamu Ngadjon mob from the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland is keeper of this totem animal. 2. Woodlands: Koala The central region of Dreamworld Corroboree is the natural home to the koala, the Woodlands. Walking into this area guests can visit the ‘humpy’ or join the Yarning Circle where Indigenous Interpretation Officers hold music and fire making sessions. Guests can also connect with koalas, baby crocs and snakes in this area and walk among free roaming kangaroos. 3. Wetlands: Crocodile The Wetlands is a boardwalk over several water enclosures featuring the freshwater crocodile, turtles and Dreamworld’s famous saltwater crocs, Goliath and Matilda. At the Wetlands, guests can watch the croc feeding presentations or have a bite to eat themselves as traditional bush tucker samples are offered at KaiKai Café. The café is proudly supported by the Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education (ARTIE) Academy in honour of Rugby League legend, Arthur Beetson. Dreamworld guests can have their picture taken next to a life-size image of Arthur Beetson located near the café. 4. Arid: Kangaroo Among the most iconic Australian images is the arid outback landscape where bilbies flourish. Guests can find kangaroos, emus and Dreamworld’s world class bilby program. DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE BIOGRAPHIES: AL MUCCI, General Manager Life Sciences Al Mucci has been in the zoological industry for over 18 years and has held the position of
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General Manager of the wildlife department at Dreamworld for the past 8 years. Al has broad based experience with a wide variety of animals which has included senior positions in non-government organisations, private and public institutions. Al is President of the Executive Committee of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA), Queensland branch (ZAAQ). Al is an invited member of the Biosecurity Queensland Ministerial Advisory Council. Al has been working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community locally and across Australia for the past 6 years. Under the leadership of Al, Dreamworld was the first leisure based attraction in Australia to launch a Reconciliation Action. Al dreamt-up the Corroboree project and was successful in obtaining a STIG grant from the Federal Government to integrate a current wildlife attraction into an authentic and credible Indigenous experience with wildlife. DAVID HUDSON, Indigenous Cultural Consultant Dreamworld Corroboree - Indigenous Entertainer, musician, artist and actor David Hudson is an internationally renowned musician, composer, actor and entertainer. In all these areas, his work comprises a combination of contemporary and traditional Aboriginal influences. He is a highly accomplished performer and in 1997 David toured the world with Yanni (Greek composer) for many years. He has performed at the Taj Mahal and the Forbidden City, acted alongside Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer in The Island of Doctor Moreau (1996), played with Tommy Emmanuel in 1990 and has won a TV Logie Award for Presenter
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(1990) for My Place, My Land, My People. David is the co-founder, choreographer of Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and returned from 2007- 2012 as the Creative Director and then General Manager. David is well known around the world for his music and has released over 27 albums which range in their medium from the traditional right through to the classical arena. He is a renowned pioneer in the art of the didgeridoo, which he mastered at an early age. Performances in the corporate/ convention and tourism areas have all played a part in David’s extensive career. He has performed, promoted and travelled with Tourism Bodies with their promotions throughout Queensland, Australia and the world. He is also the recipient of an Honorary Tourism Ambassadors Award and a Centenary Medal for services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. In August 2013, David was commissioned to deliver the entertainment and interactive component of Dreamworld Corroboree. In consultation with the Yugambeh language people of the Gold Coast, David script a story that is brought to life through both choreographed live performance and the use of audio-visuals. JASON SANDY, Senior Indigenous Curator / Mentor Dreamworld Corroboree As Senior Indigenous Curator, Jason Sandy came to Dreamworld in September 2013 to join the final stages of the development and construction of DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE ensuring accuracy of all information, displays and artwork. His role will continue on with constant development
and accuracy of everything within DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE as well as to assist with the recruiting of Indigenous Interpretation Officers whose skills and knowledge are integral to the contribution of the experience. Jason has built an esteemed career in mentoring youth to connect with their heritage and building positive futures for themselves and their culture. Migrating from a career in traditional dance, he was most recently Indigenous mentor to the youth on traineeship at Yulara resort in Uluru. Jason was introduced to Dreamworld in 2011 when he was a contributor to the Reconciliation Action Plan. Through this introduction he continued to work with Dreamworld’s General Manager of Life Sciences, Al Mucci, on projects such as the San Diego Zoo Koala project and was eventually asked to join the team in this full time capacity. Jason says of his role at DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE, “We’re delivering an authentic experience, and it’s up to me to make sure that everything is right. I also have to look after the kids who will be working here by offering them mentoring.” “The people we’ve been interviewing to come and work at DREAMWORLD CORROBOREE are very excited that something like this is being developed, and they’re excited to be on board.” Jason is from the local Beaudesert area, the Mununjali people. RORY O’CONNOR, Dreamworld Corroboree Consultant – Yugambeh people, Director Yugambeh Museum, Language and Heritage Research Centre The former journalist, now Director of Yugambeh Museum,
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Language and Heritage Research Centre in Beenleigh, is the driving force behind many positive initiatives keeping Yugambeh heritage alive in the South East Region. Rory is a descendant of JackeyJackey, King of Logan-Pimpama, and also Jenny Graham, a prominent Aboriginal woman in the South East Region. In recent years, on a shoestring budget, Rory has turned the Museum from a small office overseen by his mother Patricia, a volunteer, into a modernised facility open to the community. The Yugambeh Museum, Language and Heritage Research Centre aims to record and promote the traditional knowledge of our region, especially the Yugambeh language, which was spoken throughout south east Queensland. Rory is preserving and promoting the culture of Yugambeh ancestors and taking the language that was once lost and making it accessible to all locals on an everyday basis. This year, Yugambeh Museum created a mobile phone app that looks at new ways of saving and learning the Yugambeh Language. The Museum also assists Aboriginal youth with employment and training opportunities, and helps community members trace their own family stories. Rory is also joint founder of The Drumley Walk, an annual 70km Aboriginal heritage walk that travels from Beaudesert to Southport. Rory added immeasurable
value to Dreamworld Corroboree by liaising on credible stories, providing valuable “sense checking,� assuring the project’s
authenticity and assisting with sensitivities surrounding the Indigenous culture.
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