The year 9 and 10 class at the Brewarrina Central School have had a hands-on headstart into the art of documentary making.

The students spent a week working with Sandra Pires, the CEO and Founder of Yesterday Stories and a history documentary film maker with two credits as producer/director on the History channel.

Yesterday Stories was created to enable communities to share their history through short documentaries and personal stories on a platform that enables people to see histories near them on a mobile phone app in the locations where the stories happened.

“I saw the need for us to know each other’s stories at the community level and capture them before it’s too late," said Sandra

“Our crew travelled from Wollongong, and we have been really impressed with the young people. We will return to launch the stories in Brewarrina in the New year.”

“We are working with the Brewarrina Cultural Museum and Central School to produce short histories on Indigenous history. We are also running workshops with Year 9 and 10 and it’s the young people who are filming the stories. We are also teaching animation to Year 7 students.”

Karleasha Barker gets behind the camera. PHOTO: Urayne Warraweena

The students spent time preparing questions and interviewing elders in the community about Brewarrina and its unique history.

One Elder who was interviewed was Aunty Crissie Gordon (Warraweena) who lived at the old Mission until she was 14 years old.

PHOTO: Aunty Crissie being interviewed by Darnell Murphy

She was able to tell the kids what it was like to grow up on the Mission and also take them on the Mission site to tell them about the buildings that were once there.

“Being interviewed by the kids, I felt comfortable because I knew them and their families. The kids showed a lot of respect and interest in what they were doing," said Aunty Crissie.

“It felt good to tell my story and doing it on country made me feel close to my old people and it felt like home.”

Jessie Walsh learning how to edit. PHOTO: Urayne Warraweena

Once the school students edit all of the footage, Sandra will finalise the finished product. She says we can expect to see the final video early next year.

There are almost 300 stories on the platform with over 150 more to be added soon.

Aunty Crissie, Luke Gordon and Darnell Murphy on site at the old Mission near Brewarrina. PHOTO: Urayne Warraweena