Manager proud to start fulfilling elders’ wishes

Bundiyarra Aboriginal Corporation’s new manager Wayne McDonald says he is determined to fulfil the wishes of the elders who founded the centre to nurture Aboriginal culture in Geraldton and the Mid West. “We need to build it now as a cultural precinct, that’s the significance of this land that we’re on,” he said while sitting in the Bundiyarra courtyard. Mr McDonald pointed out a natural spring at the Edward Road block’s lower corner. “That was a meeting ground for the old people in the different language groups back in the early days,” he said. “So we’ve got these pathways though here which are called Song Lines, and they all lead up to places where the reserve used to be.” Mr McDonald said the new Yamaji military service memorial at Bundiyarra was an excellent example of the type of cultural expression the elders had wanted to achieve. “One of the greatest opportunities is tourism,” he said. “There’s a big market and there’s not a lot of Aboriginal product.” Mr McDonald said they could now build on the work the community and staff had put in to create the memorial and add value by turning it into an attraction for visitors. He paid tribute to his predecessor Jenni Gregory-Kniveton, who had managed the organisation as a provider of environmental health and language renewal services. “I’m definitely going to have to lean on Jenni a fair bit,” Mr Donald said. “We’ve got people who can manage the language side of things, we’ve got support in environmental health side of things.” He said he brought his strategic thinking to the role, and his background in Aboriginal affairs at a regional level. “That means getting out there, talking the talk, with the right stakeholders, government, non-government, not-for-profits to try and get that coordination that’s happening a lot better through Bundiyarra,” Mr McDonald said. Ms Gregory-Kniveton said she would return to Bundiyarra to work part-time on projects.