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Profile: Gavin Tye
Who is your Mob? My ancestral links (on my Mother’s side) is to Woorabinda Aboriginal Community – two hours South West of Rockhampton in Central Queensland, and with a population just under 1000. Woorabinda means “sit-down kangaroo” My Grandfather (my Mum’s Father - Oscar Munns) was the head stockman and drove the stock from the outskirts of Taroom, where our Mob first lived to create Woorabinda in 1927, at the Governments direction and without choice. Apparently the Government had intentions of building a dam on the outskirts of Taroom, but once my ancestors were moved on, the dam never eventuated, and it’s hard not to be cynical that the dam was never going to be built. Now it’s reported that there is coal-seam gas directly under Woorabinda, so I watch with scepticism about the Governments future intentions.
Where did you go to School? My Mum was my first Teacher in Grade 1 with home schooling when we lived on a cattle property in South West Qld. I completed 2 to 4 in the local state primary school, then grades 5 to 10 in the state school system in Longreach. What does family mean to you? I’m the second oldest of 5 Brothers, and have 2 sons myself. The definition of Family continues to evolve, and my immediate and extended family are an important part of who I am as an individual. What did you enjoy doing away from work?
I enjoy keeping busy, even on week-ends, and this involves renovating houses, even though I don’t have a trade, I do as much as I can to mimimize costs. I also enjoy bush-camping, playing darts (non competition now) and table-tennis. What was the last movie you saw? A series of David Attenborough’s wildlife documentaries titled “Africa”, I find all wildlife doco’s very interesting, whether it’s the life of animals, plants or how the earth continues to evolve. What was the last book you read? Monsoon by Wilbur Smith, and currently re-reading one of his earlier books until such time as he releases a new one. I have most of his novels and find the way he writes and captures the reader’s attention is fascinating, especially the adventures and challenges that some of his characters get up to, and succeed against the odds.......... maybe there’s some link to my personal life journey, especially when people attempt to stereotype me, or say I can’t achieve something for me or our Mob? Why is a free daily First Nations Telegraph online Newspaper important? I think it’s important to get information in “real-time”, and the days of buying newspapers are very much on the decline. The demands for information in the current and future generations is very much about getting information as it happens, and to this end “First Nations Telegraph” is getting ahead of the game and
moving in the right direction. What do you hope for the future of our people? The opportunities for our Mob to be what they want to be. In my work role as National Indigenous Strategies Relationship Manager, I promote the “valueproposition” for our Mob to become qualified Accountants, and the benefits this can have for each individual, their immediate and extended families, their Communities and Nationally in “Closing the Gap” in a range of socio-economic disadvantage. Clearly getting a good education is very important, but I sometimes hear our younger generation say “what are you going to do for me”, and my normal response is “what are you willing to do for yourself, first”. I honestly believe that we need to move beyond the thinking that there will always be a safety net to support our Mob, whether we see this is a State/Territory or Federal Government. I advocate for and support the following quote: “The need for historical honesty is not a need to blame others for the present day realities”. This means that we don’t forget the intergenerational challenges our Elders and elected representatives continue to address, but collectively continue to work toward a better future for all Australians. Page 1
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Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, The Torres Strait Islands, The Cook Islands (Raratonga) and Indigenous Australians including Frank Yamma, Djakapurra, accompanied by the amazing George Telek (Papua New Guinea), Vika and Linda Bull (Tonga), Airileke (Papua New Guinea), Albert David, Mariwo (Torres Strait Islands), Kas Futialo (Samoa), Tieni Ruapene (Rarotonga) - seventeen on stage in full costume under the musical direction of David Bridie.
This star studded line up will introduce you to the rhythm of PNG, Pacifica and the long drums of Melanesia like you have never witnessed before and for those gathered at Boomerang this may well be a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.
Ernie Dingo. Image supplied
Today Boomerang Festival – a Festival for all All Australians, to be held at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm in Byron Bay, NSW, the home of Bluesfest, on the long weekend Friday 4th to Sunday 6th of October - adds a unique collaboration of artists who simply said: warrant their own very special announcement. In an extraordinary concert, coming to Boomerang from its success at London’s Olympic Festival during the Games and their two sell out performances at The Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in March, we are thrilled to present: Wantok SING SING performing Wan Solwara Pipel The London Olympic Festival was a truly Olympian feat Page 4
featuring 25,000 artists from all 204 competing Olympic nations. Representing Oceania was Wantok: SING SING in an unforgettable concert that drew rave reviews from the media and standing ovations from the audience. Outside of its two sell out performances at the Sydney Opera House last March Australia has waited expectantly to experience the music of the indigenous people of Oceania in their joyous fusion of music and dance. Boomerang Festival is proud to present all 17 members featuring their sublime world grooves, powerful mix of drumming, amazing vocals, Samoan street hip hop, reggae, dance and much more. Featuring artists, dancers and musicians from Papua New
David Jones, Serious UK, on SING SING 2012: “Something like 22,000 saw the two shows - and everyone without exception LOVED it. This is a show I could recommend to anyone in the world... With amazing artists like Telek, Djakapurra, Vika & Linda Bull and Frank Yamma to name just a few of the major musicians within Sing Sing, the most impressive element of all was the extraordinary power of the whole ensemble, which thrilled everyone who heard it” Uplifting, exhilarating - Wantok: SING SING with the celebrated show titled Wan Solwara Pipel is an epic journey that follows the songlines of the indigenous peoples of Oceania in an exuberant fusion of music and dance. Join the Pacific region’s most significant artists as they take to the stage in a powerful mix . The diverse line up of Boomerang Festival has some unexpected surprises in its
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holistic program. No other event quite matches the exchanges our audiences will experience. This is another release in a series of announcements designed to present the absolute best of the best of world Indigenous music, and much more, in a ground breaking line up. Boomerang Festival is a shining beacon for Australians to gather and celebrate our indigenous cultures from our part of the world – and more.
Download high res images of Wantok SING SING http://bit. ly/14JJAN3 Boomerang First Announce Artists: http://bit.ly/16CjehO
Boomerang Festival aims to be accessible; with early bird offers we feature an array of music, dance, theatre, comedy, film and visual arts, along with cultural knowledge exchanges and thought provoking conversations Boomerang Festival 2013 Line Up Wantok SING SING Performing Wan Solwara Pipel at Boomerang on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of October. Gurrumul with The Queensland Virtuosi Orchestra Archie Roach with Lou Bennett, Emma Donovan & Deline Briscoe and a Ten-Piece Ensemble Ernie Dingo – Shellie Morris Sean Choolburra’s 50 Shades of Black – Thelma Plum – The Medics Tammy Anderson’s I Don’t Wanna Play House – Larissa Behrendt Film Screening of Butcher Paper, Texta, Blackboard and Chalk – Arakwal Dancers Limited three day and single day early bird tickets are now on sale through www.boomerangfestival. com.au or by phoning the Boomerang Festival office on 02 6685 8310. Boomerang Festival 2013 October 4 – 6, 2013 Tyagarah Tea Farm, Byron Bay www.boomerangfestival.com.au
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