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BY GEOFF VIVIAN

Just four years after starting her own business, Bardi-Jawi woman, Rosanna Angus, from the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome in Western Australia, has taken out first prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experiences in the WA Tourism Awards.

Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours offers immersive saltwater cultural experiences across Jawi Country and the surrounding islands, sharing stories of heritage, culture, kinship, and the legacy of the Sunday Island Mission.

A petition has been launched calling on the federal government to introduce a national Australia Long Weekend celebration to finally resolve the annual January “Australia Day debate”.

Gunditjmarra woman, and Clothing the Gap founder, Laura Thompson, said the new campaign to introduce a long weekend “might just be the answer we are looking for “.

Instead of marking “Australia Day” on January 26, the public holiday could move the second-last Monday in January each year, creating a consistent long weekend that never falls on January 26.

BY GUY MCLEAN

From the tropical Top End to the dusty dirt of Central Australia, Darwin barber Kyle Bambra is showing young people in remote communities how a simple skill can turn into a career – one haircut at a time. Kyle, 24, who grew up in Darwin with family ties to Maningrida, works for Gary Strachan, founder of Deadly Hair Dude. He travels across the Northern Territory mentoring young Aboriginal people and helping establish community salons.

BY CHRISTINE HOWES

A central Queensland cattle station, formerly Graceville, now Turraburra, has become the centre of a revival of Iningai people, previously assumed to be wiped out by history. Turraburra was the name of the clan who were the custodians and protectors of the rock art site and springs found on the property cared for by the Iningai rangers. Ranger program coordinator Suzanne Thompson said having somewhere for Iningai people to come back to Country was most important.

Indigenous artists punched well above their weight with Barkindji legend BARKAA winning Best Hip Hop/Rap release for Big Tidda and Gamilaraay woman Thelma Plum winning Best Pop release for I’m Sorry, Now Say it Back.

Male First Nations artists also had a strong showing with Kamilaroi artist The Kid Laroi winning Song of the Year for Girls and the late Gurrumul winning Best World Music Album for Banbirrngu – The Orchestral Sessions.

BY PETER ARGENT

She might be considered diminutive in stature standing just 165cm (5’5”) tall, but basketballer Leilani Mitchell is a power-packed point guard. One of seven children – and the only daughter – of an Indigenous mother and American father, Mitchell was raised in the United States, where her love of basketball was kindled and developed into a superb playmaker at the pivotal point guard position. Mitchell has been a regular member of the Opals since 2014 when the team won bronze at the 2014 World Championships and has played at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and 2020 (actually held in 2021) Games in Tokyo.