Stories - Backyard Truth Telling Walyalup

Casey Mulder shares how many cups of tea and an unusual friendship with an elderly couple in the Kimberley taught her the wisdom of creating safe spaces for Aboriginal stories to be told.

Phil O’Donoghue shares his story of the failure of the Yes for the Voice referendum campaign and advocates for Australians to embrace uncomfortable conversations, political debate and get involved in grassroots activism.

Holly Story migrated to Perth, Australia as a ‘ten-pound pom’. As she began to ask more questions about Aboriginal cultures, she was shocked to discover a systematic, forced erasure of Aboriginal people and a more nuanced, complex picture of our history.

Jason Hunter shares his journey of learning about the true history of his family: stolen land, people massacred, children stolen, lives controlled.

Nandi Chinna had no real understanding of Aboriginal people or our colonial history until she moved to Walyalup/Fremantle as a young woman. This is her journey to finding belonging while acknowledging Aboriginal sovereignty.

Brendan Moore shares his experience of training for the Rottnest Island Swim with an all-Aboriginal team while reflecting on Wadjemup’s (Rottnest Island) painful history.

Born to Pakistani and Fijian parents, Abid Imam always felt like the odd one out amongst his classmates and friends. He started to use a fake name to introduce himself: ‘Steve’.

Trish Ratajczak was born and raised in Walyalup. She remembers a difficult childhood, with a hungry stomach and chaos that threatened to enter her bedroom. When she went in search of her biological father, she discovered she was Aboriginal. This is her journey of finding her mob.

Mariela shares her journey emigrating to the USA and later, Australia. Her deep desire to find a place she could belong to, where she would finally be accepted, is confronted by Australia’s difficult past.