From the beginning of time to now, Matthew Priestley tells the story of his Country, his family, his mob for the sake of the generations to come.In Part 1 Gomeroi Country we start at the beginning and then encounter invasion, massacre and colonisation.This podcast has been informed by the historical work of Aunty Noelene Briggs, and particularly her books Winanga-li and Burrul Wallaay. To find out more about Aunty Noelene's books click hereTo contact us, support us and find out more, join us at Patreon, click hereDetailed Music Credits"Track 4 (Hurt)" by Philip Okerstrom, Damian Mason and Symon Ayton, "Didgee Beat Box Mix" by Philip Okerstrom, "Didgy" by Philip Okerstrom "Quirky Play" by Marco Pesci, "Green Garden" by Score Wizards, "Track 10 (Hurt)" by Philip Okerstrom, Damian Mason and Symon Ayton, "Talismanist’s Art" by Tera Mangala, "Omen" by Richard Johnson, "Didgeridoo Long Loop" by Tera Mangala, "Track 3 (Hurt)" by Philip Okerstrom, Damian Mason and Symon Ayton, "Charmaine" by Philip Okerstrom.This podcast was made with funding from Create NSW.A podcast from Matthew Priestley supported by Third Space Ventures and Coequal.Other Coequal Podcastsfor Real Made Up Stories click herefor Agents for Change click hereContent DescriptionThis episode contains discussions of colonial violence, including detailed references to massacres and systemic dispossession of Aboriginal people Wirilla – Episode 1: “Gomeroi Country” Duration: ~22 minutesSetting: Recorded on Gomeroi and Dharawal Country, moving between ancient storytelling space and historical narration.Narrators/Voices:Matthew Priestley – Mehi Murri man (Terry Hie Hie clan, Gomeroi Nation)Dante – Young Gomeroi man, co-narrator and learnerKim – Anglo-Saxon background, long-time friend of Matthew, teacher from MoreePhil – Co-creator, occasional narrator🪶 STRUCTURE AND CONTENT BREAKDOWN Opening Invocation: The WindSpeaker: Matthew PriestleyMatthew opens the episode with a poetic reflection about the wind as the source of life and communication.He describes the wind as magic—essential, invisible, and often unacknowledged.Key idea: Breath and speech come from the wind, positioning “air” as the first teacher.Sets a meditative, spiritual tone—listeners are drawn into Country as a living force.🌀 Themes introduced:Connection to Country · Breath as life · Gratitude to unseen forces · Story as wind. Welcome and SettingSpeaker: Dante (intro narration)Dante welcomes listeners to Wirilla, acknowledging Gomeroi, Dharawal, Elouera, and Wadi Wadi lands.Introduces Matthew and the location — the ridge called Wirilla.Kim describes standing on the ridge: red gums with “red bellies,” tall and narrow.Matthew teaches that these are Yarran trees, sacred and central to story.🌿 Theme: Naming and language as a way of seeing; reclaiming Aboriginal place-names and meanings. Creation Story of Baime and the Yarran TreeNarrator: DanteA Dreaming story unfolds:Baime creates the first humans from red earth on the ridges.After a drought, one man refuses to eat a kangaroo rat, walks away, dies beside a red gum.A Yowie appears, places him inside the hollow tree, which then rises into the sky amid thunder.Two cockatoos follow it upward — their flight creates the Southern Cross.The story marks the origin of death in the world.🌌 Themes:Cosmic transformation · Origins of mortality · Sky stories as moral lessons · Animal kinship. Yarran Do and the Hidden StarSpeaker: MatthewMatthew expands on the story:The lifted tree becomes Yarran Do.Hidden within is Gameeri, “the smallest star in the universe,” invisible to the naked eye.Knowing the story helps you never get lost on Country — signs are everywhere.Ends with cockatoos shrieking (“See you later”), blending story and lived moment.✨ Themes:Knowledge as orientation · Invisible truths · Story as navigation · Spiritual continuity. Introductions and Reflections on IdentitySpeakers: Dante, Kim, MatthewDante introduces himself as Gomeroi, living on Dharawal land, learning about his ancestry through this project.Kim introduces herself as Anglo-Saxon, long-time collaborator and teacher from Moree.Raises the question: “Australians like to think everyone gets a fair go — but is that actually true?”This line bridges from ancient story to modern social reflection.🪞 Themes:Belonging · Cultural reclamation · The myth of equality in Australia · Intercultural friendship. Matthew on Pre-colonial Knowledge and BalanceSpeaker: MatthewDescribes Aboriginal people as living in “subconscious mode” — deeply attuned to Country.Speaks of thousands of years of balance: people knowing 30–40 languages by age 11, every star, plant, and animal by kinship.Presents a vision of knowledge as living ecology — not ownership but relationship.🌏 Themes:Ancient intelligence · Linguistic richness · Embodied learning · Ecology and spirituality united. The Land Before ColonisationNarrators: Dante ...
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