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Culture

Survival, Resilience, Strength and Celebration

Walk with us.

We are ready to celebrate our halfway mark on our 10-year journey of Danjoo Koorliny.


2024 we celebrate the Resilience, Survival and Strength of Aboriginal people through Culture. This movement of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people walking together to create a better future for us all.

Aboriginal lead and managed directive and guided by wirin (spirit), we are on a journey of caring for everything and everyone through shifting cultural, social, environmental and economic outcomes.

Danjoo Koorliny's Bunuru Social Impact Summit will be an immersive experience bringing together diverse thought leaders, change-makers, artists, and innovators from across Western Australia.

Opportunity to listen to unique perspectives, experiences, and insights to explore how Aboriginal culture has, since colonialism, gone from surviving and reviving to thriving. The Summit is a celebration of Aboriginal culture, values, and achievements. The conversations will be culturally affirming and will challenge the status quo. New ways to address social, economic, and environmental challenges will be found while building and strengthening how Aboriginal people want to be represented, both now and beyond Danjoo Koorliny's 2029 vision. There will be opportunities to celebrate, listen and learn.

The program will feature a series of engaging and diverse speaker sessions, cultural workshops and experiences, panel discussions, and inspiring keynote presentations. 

We look forward to your participation in the Bunuru Festival program.

IF YOU ARE AN ELDER (+65) PLEASE LOOK FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTARY TICKET* IN THE TICKETING SECTION.
*Conditions apply.

DOWNLOAD THE SUMMIT BROCHURE

Wednesday 13 March 2024
6 am – 6 pm

Poolgarla Parkland, Kaarta Koomba, Kings Park

The Bunuru Social Impact Summit is the pinnacle of the Festival. The previous Summits have inspired large-scale systems change, designed to help us all become better carers of everything through shifting cultural, social, environmental and economic outcomes.

The Bunuru Social Impact Summit will bring together diverse thought leaders, change-makers, artists, and innovators from across Western Australia. They will present their unique perspectives, experiences, and insights to explore how Aboriginal culture has, since colonialism, gone from surviving to thriving.

For 2024, our theme is Culture: Survival, Resilience, Strength & Celebration. 2024 also marks five years since the inception of Danjoo Koorliny, the halfway point of a 10-year journey towards the 2029 bicentenary.

The Summit is a celebration of Aboriginal culture, values, and achievements. The conversations will be culturally affirming and will challenge the status quo. New ways to address social, economic, and environmental challenges will be found while building and strengthening how Aboriginal people want to be represented, both now and beyond Danjoo Koorliny's 2029 vision.

Our celebration will feature a series of engaging and diverse speaker sessions, cultural workshops and experiences, panel discussions, performances and inspiring keynote presentations. It will focus on a wide range of cultural themes and community-led activities for everyone to participate in as we continue our journey to drive change for future generations.

The Bunuru Summit will be held at the beautiful Poolgarla Parkland, Kings Park. We have some exciting add-ons like Bush Tucker / Talks & Tasting by Dale Tilbrook, Bush Medicine with Vivienne Hansen and Male & Female Cultural Walking Tours.

Thursday 14 March 2024
6 pm – 10 pm
Government House Gardens, 13 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000

We invite you to unwind, dine and connect under the stars.

Our first partnering opportunity with Government House we host in this stunning outdoor venue beneath a starlit sky in Government House Gardens. Djinda Mereny / Dinner Under the Stars offers an intimate dining experience that promises an evening of fine dining infused with local Western Australian ingredients, enhanced by a program of exciting performances of art, and culture.

Dale Tilbrook and Paul Iskov are creating a seasonal menu focusing on local WA produce to delight the senses. Dale is a renowned Wardandi Bibbulmun woman with a wealth of knowledge about Australian native edibles or bush tucker, and Paul is the owner and executive chef at Fervor, a travelling restaurant and culinary experience unlike any other. United by their passion for native Australian ingredients, Dale and Paul will create a culinary adventure for an unmissable evening.

Djinda Mereny is the perfect follow-up to the Bunuru Social Impact Summit.

This is an alcohol-free event.

Monday 25 March

5 pm – 9 pm

Gaboodjoolup (South Perth Foreshore), East of the Coode Street boat ramp, East of carpark 15

Watch the rising of the final full moon of Bunuru over the Darling Range at Meeka Moorart – Full Moon Ceremony, an Aboriginal-led cultural event featuring soul-stirring music, dance and captivating storytelling that never fails to delight.

The night will feature performances by BARKAA, Maanyung, Phil Walleystack, Boox Kid and Della Mob.

In 2024, Meeka Moorart will be accompanied by a Maker's Market showcasing the talents of Aboriginal makers, artists and small businesses from across WA.

Since 2019 we have held a full moon celebration as part of the Danjoo Koorliny Festival, immersing ourselves in nature as we celebrate and watch Meeka (moon) rise. This year we will watch Meeka rise from Gaboodjoolup, South Perth Foreshore. The festivities will begin at 5pm, with the moon set to rise at 6:24pm.

Please feel free to bring a picnic and a rug or chairs to sit on the grass. There will be a karla (fire) to keep us toasty, and a designated Elders space.

Together we will be singing the evolving Meeka Moorart Full Moon song, which has a new verse added to it each year. The song was recorded with Dr Noel Nannup OAM, Dr Richard Walley OAM, Farley Garlett, Carol Innes AM, Della Rae Morrison, Ezra Jacobs-Smith, Elisha Jacobs-Smith and Kobi Morrison, along with John Butler, Iain Grandage, Zal Kanga-Parabia and others, mixed by Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe).

Join us on the banks of the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) for this immersive Noongar-led cultural event featuring local artists.

This all-inclusive event is suitable for families and friends and is an alcohol-free event.

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Professor Anne Poelina

Nulungu Institute Research University of Notre Dame

Professor Anne Poelina PhD, PhD, MEd, MPH&TM, MA, Nyikina Warawa Guardian Martuwarra Fitzroy River, Co-Chair of Indigenous Studies University Notre Dame, active community leader, human and earth rights advocate, and Peter Cullen Fellow. Laureate Women’s World Summit Foundation (Geneva, 2017) elected Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (2018).

Samantha Murray

A Yilka/Wongutha/Nyoongar/Yamatji woman who grew up in Cosmo Newberry ( where she has traditional owner links) and Laverton and has connections to the broader Central Desert Area.

Her Indigenous name is Imelia and Skin name Panaga.

She has previously been a Director of Yilka Aboriginal Corporation for over 3 years and is a currently a Director of Yilka Heritage and Land Care which deals with the land management programs and ranger team. Sam has worked in a range of other government-based roles in education, public housing and TAFE.

She has previously worked with Central Desert Native Title Services and Desert Support Services.

Samantha currently works as Deputy CEO – at the Indigenous Desert Alliance where she continues with her passionate commitment to supporting people and country of the Australian desert.


Michelle Andrews


An executive leader and environmental scientist with 30 years’ experience in the public sector currently in the role of Director General, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

Michelle has previously led the role of Director General for the Department of Communities and reformed the organisation’s governance and integrity systems following a major fraud and corruption incident.

Michelle has held executive roles within the Department of Premier and Cabinet, State Development and the former Department of Mines and Petroleum, where she focused on major projects, resource development policy and strengthening relationships across government, industry and the community.

She strongly supports taking action on Aboriginal outcomes and formed the Cultural Council at Communities to ensure appropriate guidance on these actions. At the Department of Water and Environmental Protection, Michelle is driving better engagement outcomes for Aboriginal and Indigenous people with her support for the department’s Reconciliation Action Plan and the Aboriginal Engagement Strategy.

As a senior executive, Michelle believes in the power of collective leadership and the development of individual leaders to create shared leadership capabilities within organisations.

When she has personal time out, Michelle is a keen walker and likes nothing better than pulling on a backpack and hiking trails in our great state.


Glen Kelly OAM

Glen is an Aboriginal man of the Wardandi Nyungar people of the South West of Western Australia. Glen is an Environmental Scientist and has almost 30 years of experience in Aboriginal affairs, native title, Aboriginal land management and community development at local, national and international levels.

Glen served as the Chief Executive Officer of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC), the native title representative body for the South West of WA, for nearly a decade. Glen has also worked across Australia on native title agreement making and has assisted a variety of Traditional Owner groups and Government clients achieve strong and sustainable native title outcomes.

From 2015 to 2017 Glen also served as the Chief Executive of the National Native Title Council where he worked alongside members of the native title sector, Government and Industry to secure reforms to the Native Title Act. In 2019, Glen was awarded West Australian of the Year in the Indigenous category and was appointed as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal in October 2020.

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Professor Steven D. Hopper AC

Professor of Biodiversity, The University of Western Australia, Albany WA


Born in Bangalow NSW in 1951, and moving to Perth in 1965, today I am a field biologist, avid bibliophile, beach comber, photographer, part-time musician and family man. Previously, following PhD studies, I have worked in conservation research and management in the Western Australian Government (1977-1992), and been chief executive (Director) of two world-class botanic gardens (Kings Park WA 1992-2004, and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK 2006-2012). I now work in a 0.6FTE appointment as Professor of Biodiversity at The University of Western Australia, Albany (2012 to present) and as a strategic consultant.

My research and teaching interests include specialist expertise in natural history, eucalypts, kangaroo paws, orchids, plants of granite outcrops, endangered plants, cross-cultural biodiversity research with Noongar Aboriginal people, old climatically-buffered infertile landscapes (Ocbils), pollination of plants by birds and mammals, and botanic garden management. I am an author of 338 scientific publications, 155 peer-reviewed, with 139 sole-authored, and 14 books and monographs.  My field research has extended across Australia and New Zealand (since 1972), the USA (since 1990), South Africa (since 1997), and the UK and western Europe (since 2001).

I joined as Director the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London, a World Heritage tourist site and global plant science powerhouse of 800 staff, in 2006, and led the organization through celebrations of its 250th anniversary in 2009, before returning to UWA in 2012. As a CEO, Chief Scientist and manager, I have seen Kings Park and Botanic Garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew through substantial organizational change, without industrial disputation, in challenging economic circumstances, delivering much improved revenues and world-class improvements to services, facilities and science outputs in both cases.

Currently, I am focused on helping devise ways for people to live sustainably with biodiversity, especially on Ocbils, and in collaboration with Noongar people, postgraduate students and other scientists worldwide.

In 2012 I was inducted into the Western Australian Science Hall of Fame. I was also awarded Australia’s highest civilian honour of Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for ’eminent service as a global science leader in the field of plant conservation biology, particularly in the delivery of world class research programs contributing to the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems’.

Lindsey Langford


Chief Executive Officer of the Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA)

Lindsey is passionate about seeing positive and Indigenous directed outcomes for the desert and its people. He grew up in Central Australia and has had privilege of an intimate and lifelong association with Indigenous desert land managers on their country.

He has spent the past 15 years working primarily with Indigenous desert rangers to support the operational and strategic development of Indigenous Protected Area programs and ranger teams through to founding and developing the Indigenous Desert Alliance.


BUNURU SUMMIT

𖡡 Wednesday 13 March 2024 6 am – 6 pm

𖡡 Poolgarla Parkland, Kaarta Koomba, Kings Park

DJINDA MERENY - Dinner under the stars

𖡡 Thursday 14 March 2024
6 pm – 10 pm

𖡡 Government House Gardens, 13 St  Georges Terrace

MEEKA MOORART - Full moon ceremony

𖡡 Monday 25 March 5 pm – 9 pm


𖡡 Gaboodjoolup (South Perth Foreshore), East of the Coode Street boat ramp, East of carpark 15