Koori Elders from Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Health Association (LEAHA), including some Bidawal people who have seldom had the opportunity to visit Mallacoota, their ancestral land, visited Mallacoota on May 21 and 22.

Also among the Elders group were members of Wurinbeena Inc., an art company with a gallery in Lakes Entrance that showcases Aboriginal art and culture.

The visit was part of the Croajingolong Project, initiated by a teacher at Mallacoota P-12 College, and coincided with World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

The group was warmly welcomed to Karbeethong Lodge on the Tuesday by owners, Jennifer and Graeme Mitchell, along with teaching staff from Mallacoota P-12 College.

The cross-cultural gathering shared a meal; histories and stories were exchanged with the Elders and many yarns were told.

The Croajingolong Project seeks to show students a culture and a world they have had little exposure to, and to highlight the importance of respect for the Elders’ ancestral land.

The project will focus on indigenous history and culture and will be on-going as part of the college’s curriculum.

The Elders visited Mallacoota College on Wednesday, May 22, and ran workshops, which included making damper, painting boomerangs and art murals. The students listened to stories and songs from the Elders while sharing a barbecue lunch and were excited to learn about, and play, the original footy game, Marngrook.

PICTURED: Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Health Association Elders visited Karbeethong Lodge during a visit to Mallacoota last month as part of the Croajingolong Project.