The Goondee Keeping Place Celebrates Language, Culture, and Song in New Era Launch
09-06-2026
It’s an exciting time for ACHAA’s newest core member, the Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place & Museum, continuing the legacy of Elders before them.
Located in Lightning Ridge on Yuwaalaraay and Euahlayi Country, Goondee is owned and operated by Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation. Woganurra and the Goondee are led by Tom Barker, honouring and continuing the work of his parents, esteemed Elders Uncle Roy and Aunty June Barker.
They were renowned in their lifetimes, and remain so, as passionate activists and advocates for Aboriginal culture and heritage, recognised through numerous awards, including the ACHAA M&G NSW Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Contribution Award.
Uncle Roy and Aunty June established the Goondee Keeping Place in 2000, especially to preserve Languages, Cultures and History. Tom, supported by his own family, is continuing and even expanding this important work through Woganurra. Including renewed focus on culture and language expressed through stories, songs, and performances.
The Yaluu Ngiyani Bawili & Yunggi Murrawarri Music Projects is just one example, a result of music performance and songwriting work held at the centre.
The launch was celebrated with an evening of story sharing, where music from the albums recorded were played and the participants in the project were able to share their experience of the project. “We were recording in the middle of summer, In this small recording space at the Goondee, one of them shared, “We had to turn off the aircon to record and then turn it back on straight away when we finished, making us sweaty after each song. These experiences were all a part of the process that made it so memorable.”
Woganurra acknowledges the Elders and young people involved in the project, made possible through support partners such as the Aboriginal Languages Trust, NSW AECG, the Gamilaraay / Yuwaalaraay/Yuwaalayaay Language & Culture Nest, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, Nardi Simpson and Gaawaa Miyay, Kelsey Iris Music and Felix Bodewes-Leach.
This project is just part of an ongoing new era for the Corporation, with recent renovations to their buildings allowing for year-round operations, where prior the hot summers without air conditioning would have meant that projects such as this one would not have been possible. We are excited to watch continued developments, growing and expanding the vision for Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place & Museum.
Listen to recordings gathered in this project on their website here.
