“Yaamanga Around here is a permanent exhibition exploring the history and identity of the Coffs Coast through themes of place, community and belonging, with Gumbaynggirr culture at its heart." (source)
The gallery, museum and library are housed in a new bright green building that even has bike racks in front. Culture is free there.
At the entry a film is shown: Daalga Nginundi Wajarr (Sing your Country) Gumbaynggirr artist Birrugan Dunn-Velasco uses modern instrumentation and sounds from Country.
The bulk of the museum is devoted to settler culture. Displays of deforestation tools, logging implements, barbed wire and cattle images. Frugal craftiness textiles.
One could say it is an obsession with stuff, with material culture and the hoarding of possessions. Collections of tools, shells, food implements from a nostalgic bygone era.
The only First Nations 'stuff' is showcased in a glass cabinet. Some dusty stone tools are lined up out of context (as seen in most Australian museums). To counter-pose a huge array of settler implements with Aboriginal stone tools could lead one to misleading conclusions.
Missing and therefore invisible in this display of material cultures is the greatest achievement of the Indigenous Peoples, that is having managed Country for 60.000 years without degrading it.
There are some beautiful paintings, glass and textile installations to see..
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| Suzanna Knight, Shearwater tapestry |
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