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Warami Mittigar:
A cultural partnership built on respect
LGNSW Tourism Conference
Tuesday 19 March 2019
Justine Dowd & Sasa Kennedy
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Strategic context and background
Parramatta – always was,
always will be, a gathering
place
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Community Strategic PlanWe celebrate culture and diversity – past present and future
Culture and Our CityAlways was, always will be, a gathering place
Destination Management PlanEnhanced quality and meaningful visitor experiences
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Cultural Heritage
• Identify unique experiences
• Link and promote experiences to grow the visitor economy
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Stretch
Reconciliation
Action PlanDocument Title Section Title 00.00.2018 5
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The Journey
Development of the cultural
partnership between Council
and the Darug community
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2015 – EOIs for Aboriginal presenters sent
2017 – Darug Interpretation Workshop was born
2018 – Developed and implemented protocols for
cultural content of Darug cultural tours
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How the partnership was built
• Time
• Humility
• Flexibility
• Goodwill
• Honesty
• Trust
• Willingness to share
RESPECT
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Our partnership
Darug partners
• Darug cultural
knowledge
• Traditional
teaching skills
Council staff
• Planning skills
• Interpretation and
guiding skills
RESPECT
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Planning Goals
Darug:
✓ Access to land for traditional practice
✓ Cultural immersion training
✓ People to feel welcome on Country
✓ Meaningful interpretation of their culture
✓ To provide content and share their cultural
knowledge
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Warami Mittigar:
an Aboriginal
Cultural Walk
was born…
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Planning Goals
Council:
✓ Site-specific content so visitors
can relate to what is here.
✓ Parramatta-specific Darug story
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Warami Mittigar:
an Aboriginal
Cultural Walk
was born…
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Develop outline for an Aboriginal Cultural Walk.
A recce and content agreement from Darug
partners.
A draft tour plan created by Council for feedback,
training and trials.
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Actions
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The Process
• Warami Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural Tour was
proposed, drafted, discussed and modified
• The pilot was trialled during History Week
2018
• Soft launch during Heritage Near Me West
Fest in Oct 2018
• Target Markets – residents, students,
inbound visitors and Visiting Friends &
Relatives (VFR)
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The Process
• 2019 – Two tours per month + special event
tours eg Senior’s Festival, Sorry Week,
National Heritage Festival
• Tour is listed on Australian Tourism Data
Warehouse (ATDW) and TripAdvisor
• Tour is bookable through Eventbrite and
www.discoverparramatta.com
• Now mapped to the school syllabus and
bookable for excursions through Council’s
Cultural Heritage Education Program 14
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What we asked, what we learnt and what we heard…
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from our Darug partners
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Action: Council developed an EOI to learn what the Aboriginal community would like to contribute
Result: A poor response.
Why?
• Language is important egknowledge-holder, not expert
• Catching attention is difficult
How did we know?
We asked!
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What
Council
learnt…
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Individual voices not seen as representative
• Seek a range of voices
Demands on elders’ time are great
• Cultural requirements
• Community support
• Skills building
Managing participation is difficult
• Understand demands on their time
• Ask how to engage most effectively
• Apply multiple methods
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Challenges
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Darug elders sharing their experience
What has been the most rewarding aspect of developing this partnership with Council?
AND
What would like you to share with the audience here today who are considering partnership with Aboriginal communities Aboriginal tourism projects?
Document Title Section Title 00.00.2018 18
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Uncle Chris Tobin
Darug Elder
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Aunty Leanne King
Darug elder
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Uncle Lex Dadd
Darug Elder
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OUTCOMES:
Darug goals met
Council goals met
A niche tourism experience is born!
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Thank you
Justine Dowd
jdowd@cityofparramatta.gov.au
Sasa Kennedy
skennedy@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au
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QUESTIONS?
Document Title Section Title 00.00.2018 24