The National NAIDOC Week theme for 2023 is ‘For Our Elders’ and on Thursday 6 July, the community of Warren came together at a morning tea to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition at the Warren Museum and Art Gallery (WAM).

 Elders are said to play an important and prominent role in the Aboriginal community and are revered as cultural knowledge holders. The WAM exhibition ‘For Our Elders’ consists of a wall of images that commemorates local elders both past and present, as well as family members who have passed away at a young age.

 The display was a labour of love for Aboriginal Health Worker Mary Small and her band of helpers. Over a period of months Mary, who is also a curator and member of the WAM committee, has been gathering images in preparation for the exhibition. “I’ve been trying to contact as many families as I can in order to source photos,” she explained. “The Warren MPS funded the printing of the images and my sister Lila Gordon, my niece Beverly and Auntie Joan (Hanzel) helped put them up.”

 The event was significant and meaningful for many of those in attendance and it was the first time that some of the images had been seen by extended family members. The Western Plains App spoke to several people who had submitted precious photos of their children, lost far too soon, as well as other family members who were greatly loved and missed. All were proudly on display alongside those of the elders who are still active today in leading their communities.

 Kathy George is a Warren resident whose mother-in-law Alice Wells (nee Darcy) was one of the elders featured in the display. “It's amazing, it’s breathtaking,” she enthused.  “To see so many loved ones from so many different families up on the wall is just incredible. It shows our young ones just how strong our culture is and how it is still alive today. To see our history and family connections laid out like this helps to make sure that our stories are not being lost.”

Kathy George with the display that features extended family.

 The morning tea was funded by the Western NSW Local Health District (LHD) and the Warren Multipurpose Service (MPS) as part of their commitment to the health and well-being of Aboriginal people residing within the Western region. 

Warren MPS Health Services Manager (acting) Sharon Thompson said that she thought the exhibition was a wonderful community event with a variety of important benefits. 

“We really want the community to know that we care about them and that we are here for them,” she explained. “It has been wonderful to learn about the history of the families here in Warren and to discover the ways in which they are connected to each other.”

 The exhibition is still growing as offers of additional photos continue to come in. “We’ve had a number of visitors who have already come forward and offered their pictures, which is wonderful,” Mary said. “We invite anyone who would like to submit further images to please do so.

 “My sister Lila and I have had this dream (of a display) for a long time. I would like to thank Lila, Beverly and Auntie Joan for all of their help with both the display and the morning tea, I simply couldn’t have done it without them. I also want to thank Western NSW LHD, the Warren MPS, Warren Shire Council and the team at the WAM for all of their support,” she finished.

 The WAM’s ‘For Our Elders’ exhibition is free and will continue through to 30 July 2023.