An invitation for reflection – ‘Telling the Whole Story’ at Maria Creek / Pawur, Kingston SE (SA)
For any readers of the NGT newsletter who live in or regularly travel through the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, next time you are passing through Kingston SE, I’d encourage you to take a break at the visitor information bay on the outskirts of town, where the coastal highway and the highway to Millicent intersect.
It is here that you can now wander through a newly planted revegetation area, paths and a communal gathering space, along with an informative series of signs that explain the Meintangk First Nations story of this place, as shared by descendants of the Meintangk people. The space encourages reflection upon, and a deeper understanding of, our shared colonial history.
Set on the banks of Maria Creek / Pawur, this is where the community recently gathered to mark the opening of this space and share the important theme that underpins it: ‘Telling the Whole Story’. The project was led by local First Nations elder Professor Irene Watson, as well as Tamara Pomery and Kirrakee Watson, who worked closely over the past couple of years with Alison Stillwell and others at the National Trust of SA, to bring the vision for the area to fruition.
The day involved Irene sharing a call for ‘permission to be on country’ and a smoking ceremony in the new Wanga Kalawa gathering space, which will soon become more sheltered as the surrounding indigenous seedlings grow.
These plants – which have names provided in local Meintangk and Bunganditj language – include trees, shrubs and understory plants, and give visitors a sense of the diversity of native vegetation that once occurred here and sustained Meintangk people and culture.
A short time later, we moved nearby to hear a series of short speeches, by Irene, Tamara, Kirrakee, and representatives of the National Trust of SA – including their Patron-in-Chief, Frances Adamson AC, the Governor of South Australia. The day was concluded by an unveiling of the new interpretive signs and a chance to chat over afternoon tea.
Upon reflection, I think many of us left the launch with the sense that – on this day – a very positive step was taken in the right direction for truth telling and reconciliation, and that this approach might serve as a model for others grappling with how to come to terms with, and better recognise, the impacts of our shared colonial history within regional communities.
It has been a real privilege to be able contribute in a small way to this project, and to see it all come together in a way that respects the history of the place, its environmental values and most importantly the Meintangk people. As well as recognising the efforts of everyone involved, I would like to extend special thanks to Bryan Haywood, who provided a lot of practical support to the project committee on behalf of NGT.
You can learn more about the site and those who have supported the project by visiting the Telling the Whole Story website, and additional detail about the Telling the Whole Story project and the opening event can also be found in this ABC News article.
