Aboriginal Exhibitions are there any in Sydney?

Question

I have my mother in law visiting from the states, she wants to see indigenous people play didgeridoo etc. Are there any exhibitions to go to in sydney?

Answer 1

Hi!
I remembered seeing your question yesterday. Then on the radio 101.7FM I heard an add for Cronulla and National Park Ferry Cruises. They do short Scenic Cruise's from Cronulla to Bundeena. While your in Bundeena you can see Aboriginal carvings on Jibbon Point.

I know it's not an Aboriginal Exhibition that you are hoping for, but it is the real thing to see. Plus it’s a beautiful part of Sydney to visit. If you haven't been to Bundeena before you will find it's a lovely small village within the Royal National Park.
http://www.cronullaferries.com.au/content/view/12/27/

There is a 1 hour walking tour in Sydney that you can do. You meet in the front of the Aboriginal Art Shop, then as you walk around you learn about the heritage Sydney’s Aboriginal People. The Aboriginal Art Shop is very good and I think it will be the closest thing to an Aboriginal Exhibition you will find around Sydney. http://www.aboriginalaustraliatravel.com/tour_info.cfm?id=80

There is also a one day Aboriginal tour in the Blue Mountains.
http://www.bluemountainswalkabout.com/frames.htm


If your Mum is looking for unique Australian gifts to take home and won’t take up any space in her suit case. Then get her to have a look at the Australian Bushmen’s kangaroo leather plaited belts. I bought one for myself back in the Eighties and I still wear it to this day. The site below shows you what they look like.
http://skt.netc.net.au/belts.htm

Hope your Mum enjoys her visit down under.

Answer 2

The didgeridoo is not an instrument from the Sydney region but from the tropical north of Australia. It has spread throughout the country and you will hear it in many different places. I have seen buskers at Katoomba and Circular Quay playing the didgeridoo.

There are few Aboriginal people from the Sydney region left. Most of the Aborigines in the city are from somewhere else. The local language, Dharuk, is extinct. There are certainly exhibitions of Aboriginal culture in various museums etc in Sydney but as there is little if any local culture left, you will have to go to Alice Springs or Darwin to see an exhibition such as you describe.

Answer 3

Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural Centre is an Aboriginal meeting place where you can learn about indigenous life and heritage, in Penrith.

For an Aboriginal perspective on Sydney Harbour take a boat cruise on the Deerubin, on Aboriginal-owned-and-operated vessel that sails on Sydney’s famous waterway.

Gavala Aboriginal Art Gallery, located at Darling Harbour in Sydney, is one of the finest commercial galleries in Australia. It features an extensive collection of Aboriginal paintings by important indigenous artists.

The Yiribana Gallery, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, is one of the largest spaces in Australia dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

Visit http://www.seesydney.com/default.aspx?PageID=773 for more information about these and other Indigenous activities in Sydney and surrounds.

Answer 4

There is a good museum near Hyde Park in the middle of Sydney, which has a lot of things relating to Aboriginal history in it. Their is a giant wombat in there too.

Answer 5

You really need to go to an Aboriginal Culture Park to get the REAL experience.

Splash out and come to Cairns with your mother in law for 2-3 days - A trip to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park http://www.tjapukai.com.au and on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. http://www.skyrail.com.au (same car park as Tjapukai - right next door to each other)

The skyrail takes you up to the rainforest village of Kuranda. http://www.kuranda.org - or take the skyrail up one way and train back down to the city. Kuranda Scenic Railway http://www.ksr.qr.com.au

If you fly with Virgin – you can get cheap deals $160 approx – be sure to check out their happy hour prices at lunch time for even lower fares.

The trip up here will be well worth it and your mother in law will love you for it!

Answer 6

Just go to the local pub or nearest park, you should find plenty of druncken aboriginies there.