Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place
Preserving the surrounding local Aboriginal Languages, Culture and Sovereignty.
The Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place & Museum was founded by respected Elders, Roy and June Barker in the year 2000 and on Yuwaalaraay/Euahlayi Country for the purpose of preserving the surrounding local Aboriginal Languages, Culture and Sovereignty.
Uncle Roy was a skilled maker of traditional objects and artefacts, having learned from elders at Brewarrina as a boy, whilst Aunty June was an acclaimed storyteller and oral histographer. Uncle Roy and Aunty June originally set up the Goondee Keeping Place in a shed on their property in Lightning Ridge to store and protect their own cultural objects and artefacts. They made displays of artefacts and photographs which they used to educate visitors about Yuwaalaraay culture and history.
Today, their legacy is honoured through the continuing work of the Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation, preserving cultural knowledge for future generations, as well as truthfully share and raise awareness of the diverse history of Aboriginal peoples with others.
Not only does the Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation have a focus on preservation through Goondee, but their programming has a wider community impact as well. Activities and workshops are tailored to Yuwaalaraay/Yuwaaliyaay, Murrawarri and Gamilaraay/Gomeroi Countries, with dedicated Language consultants and training. The workshops also include a focus on songwriting and musical performance to further extend language and cultural expression. The corporation also provides Cultural Awareness to workplaces, organisations and government departments.
Goondee offers guided tours of the cultural objects and historical material preserved in their museum, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the diverse history and local knowledge of the surrounding Aboriginal peoples of the area.
The Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place & Museum was founded by respected Elders, Roy and June Barker in the year 2000 and on Yuwaalaraay/Euahlayi Country for the purpose of preserving the surrounding local Aboriginal Languages, Culture and Sovereignty.
Uncle Roy was a skilled maker of traditional objects and artefacts, having learned from elders at Brewarrina as a boy, whilst Aunty June was an acclaimed storyteller and oral histographer. Uncle Roy and Aunty June originally set up the Goondee Keeping Place in a shed on their property in Lightning Ridge to store and protect their own cultural objects and artefacts. They made displays of artefacts and photographs which they used to educate visitors about Yuwaalaraay culture and history.
Today, their legacy is honoured through the continuing work of the Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation, preserving cultural knowledge for future generations, as well as truthfully share and raise awareness of the diverse history of Aboriginal peoples with others.
Not only does the Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation have a focus on preservation through Goondee, but their programming has a wider community impact as well. Activities and workshops are tailored to Yuwaalaraay/Yuwaaliyaay, Murrawarri and Gamilaraay/Gomeroi Countries, with dedicated Language consultants and training. The workshops also include a focus on songwriting and musical performance to further extend language and cultural expression. The corporation also provides Cultural Awareness to workplaces, organisations and government departments.
Goondee offers guided tours of the cultural objects and historical material preserved in their museum, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the diverse history and local knowledge of the surrounding Aboriginal peoples of the area.
Contact & visit
Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place
83-85 Pandora Street
Lightning Ridge
New South Wales 2834
Opening Hours
By appointment
