Walmadany concert for heritage says it in song

On Friday night 5,200 people gathered at Male Oval, Broome to hear from some of Australia’s most highly regarded musicians and the cream of local talent join together to say no to industrial development in the Kimberley.concert1 The concert was organised by Helen Jedwab and instigated when Law Keeper and Custodian for the Goolaraboolo heritage, Joseph Roe, invited musicians including The Pigram Brothers, John Butler and Rob Hirst (Midnight Oil), to come together for a celebration of Indigenous cultural values. Local and national environment groups were proud to accept an invitation to support the event and provide information to concert goers on the night.concert2 Local environment group, Environs Kimberley Director, Martin Pritchard said “The bulldozing of around 3,000 hectares of bush affecting many rare species and communities including monsoonal vine thicket and bilbies in an area being investigated for national heritage listing is totally unacceptable.” “The concert organised by Joseph Rowe was a real eye-opener to the Indigenous Cultural values of James Price Point, we believe the environmental and cultural impacts of this proposal are too great for it to go ahead.” said Mr Pritchard.concert3 Save The Kimberley spokesperson Peter Tucker said “We have been working for many years now to draw attention to the significance of the Kimberley region and the massive environmental and cultural danger that this proposed development represents. The significance of this concert uniting musicians and Indigenous people should not be underestimated.”.

Images: Rod Hartvigsen.

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  1. Amazing!! Well done to all involved, especially the organisers who have invested so much time and effort to pull this event off.
    I just wish that the concert had’ve received a lot more media than it probably did.

    On a day where the Minister for the Arts, Peter Garrett announced a Indigenous Music Artists Grant programe, it seems that the disconnect between the pollies world and the real world is still massive.

    Appreciation too to the artists who shared their talents for this gig. In Western Australia, particularly, one needs to have a loud voice to be heard…

    Comment by Jeannine on March 30, 2009 at 9:53 pm

  2. It was a fantastic concert and night. The town turned out! If they didn’t,they missed a great peoples event. There are not many places where you can have a grog free concert and watch the kids safely go wild…and at the same time,feel that you have been counted again in relation to the Gas Hub debacle. I am happy to go to any meeting or gathering,but usually find out AFTER the event that it is on. How can I get on a email list to be contacted BEFORE the event.
    Thanks to all of you who are working so tirelessly on this. Maggie sister OAM

    Comment by Maggie sister on March 30, 2009 at 10:37 pm

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