Richard and Alton Walley – July 2015

NAIDOC Week – July 5-12 2015

This year’s theme, “We all Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate” highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ strong spiritual and cultural connection to land and sea. It is an opportunity to pay respects to country, honour those who work tirelessly on preserving land, sea and culture, and share the stories of many sites of significance or sacred places with the nation.

Richard is a visual artist, musician, performer and writer. He holds an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Murdoch University and is Director of Aboriginal Productions and Promotions. Richard was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to the Performing Arts and Nyungar culture. In 1978 he co-founded Middar Aboriginal Theatre. Richard’s stage and television production involvement includes writing additional music and playing the didgeridoo for The Dreamers by Jack Davis, playing Jimmy in Part 1 of the TV series A Fortunate Life.

Coordah, published in Plays from Black Australia
Currency Press, 1989; ISBN 9780868192260
3 female, 11 male

Depicts the life of Aborigines in a small WA country town during the 1940s and 1980s.

Tribal Scent
CM Film Productions, 52 minute documentary
Writers: Alun Bartsch, John Carozzi
Directors: Richard Walley, Carmelo Musca

Sandalwood is the basis of most of the world’s expensive and exotic perfumes. Once prolific, 80% of it now comes from one location, the outback of Western Australia. Tribal Scent follows the journey of activist and tribal elder Dr Richard Walley. Richard has joined forces with scientists and the CEOs from Clarins, Aveda, Yves Rocher and Dior, the world’s major perfume makers to form a group called the Natural Resources Stewardship Circle. The committee works towards the shared goal of protecting one of the few remaining Indigenous sandalwood reserves in the world.

Alton is a Noongar writer hailing from the south-west of Western Australia. He is studying Arts at Murdoch University, with a double-major in Tourism and Australian Indigenous Studies. As part of a four-year cadetship at Kings Park, Alton helped design and build a trail in the State Botanic Garden, titled ‘Boodja Gnarning’. The pathway is an exploration of the uses of Australian native plants for medicinal and food purposes. Alton regularly participates in cultural performances and workshops, and delivers cultural inductions and education programs.

Chunyart and the Cheeky Parrot – Illustrated by Rosalie Okely, Richard Walley and Sandy Fordham
Perth Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, 2013; ISBN 9781876479183
Pre-primary to Year 2
Chunyart, a young Nyoongar boy, is taking his first journey towards becoming a man. He has much to learn from his family about the land and its useful plants. But with a cheeky parrot for a friend, there is plenty of mischief along the way. “He learns katitjin (traditional knowledge), such as using Marri gum to heal wounds, and gets into some trouble along the way,” Mr Walley said. “It’s educational, and we were keen to have Noongar language be a strong focus of the book, though we also wanted the story to be entertaining for kids.”