Beloved local community Elder Aunty Carol Cooper, standing in the foreground of ‘The Gully’, her Gundungurra father’s land where she grew up. “I feel at peace here. I feel he’s saying, ‘I’m still here’.”
Story and photos by Linda Moon
Aunty Carol Cooper is a small, humble woman with a big heart and an important message for humanity.
Key Points:
Local Katoomba woman Aunty Carol Cooper rose above a childhood of extreme schoolyard racism and violence to become a bridge to reconciliation.
In 2023 the Darug and Gundungurra Elder was awarded an Order of Australia medal for outstanding services to the local community.
Be inspired by her journey for peace, from the school playground and beyond, in a time when co-operation and working together is more needed than ever to protect life on our planet.
Seventy three-year-old Carol Cooper was born in Katoomba and continues to call it her home. But she still bears the scars of violent childhood racism in the town. In primary school her nose was broken, her lip split and she nearly lost her chin. Her leg was gashed with broken glass. Boys would follow Carol and her siblings home and throw rocks at the family.
The atrocious racism she experienced wasn’t limited to children. Shockingly, it was also perpetuated by teachers. Aunty Carol said a male teacher, who actively hated ‘blacks’, would make her stand outside the classroom in the rain.
The abuse, which included being told she was dumb, affected her schooling. “I can’t write. I still can’t spell,” Carol tells. She felt that being smart would only make the bullying worse.
Remarkably, the descendent of the Gundungurra and Darug people remains big-hearted and free of bitterness. “That was life back then,” she reflects. “I don’t think I was the only one who got bashed up.”
Childhood in The Gully
That ‘life back then’ included living in The Gully: traditional lands in the heart of Katoomba. These were re-occupied by Aboriginal people in the early twentieth century due to white settlement of the Mountains.
To Carol and her family, The Gully was home. “It was really good there,” she recalls. “We didn’t want to move.”
In 1957 residents were forcibly removed from their homes for the construction of the Catalina Racetrack. Carol can still recall the traumatic sight of her family home being burnt down. In some recognition of the past, in 2002 The Gully was officially declared an Aboriginal Place.
A life of service
Rather than self-pity or retaliation, Carol’s life has been one of power through contribution and caring. She continues to be a long-standing volunteer at Katoomba North and South Public Primary schools and St Canice’s, Katoomba. A former State basketball player, she’s involved in the Katoomba North School Koori Club and coaches a girl’s basketball team.
A member of multiple community groups, Carol won a Zest Award for Community Volunteering in 2012. She was invited as a delegate for the second International Women for Peace Conference in Dili, Timor-Leste in 2009. She also helped found the Blue Mountains Aboriginal Culture and Resource Centre.
Further promoting respect for and knowledge of her culture, Carol co-authored Fun and Games in Gundungurra. The activity book (published in 2007) teaches Gundungurra language to children.
In recognition of her community work, in 2023 she was awarded the Order of Australia medal. It’s a reminder, she says, that someone is always watching what we do. This includes what’s most important in life: how we treat each other.
“This was my story, but there were a lot more people that were worse off than me and deserve this award more,” she says. “And if it wasn’t for the ANTAR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation) women, my story would never have been told.”
Promoting peace and reconciliation
Described by Zest as “the backbone of the reconciliation movement in the Blue Mountains for the past 20 years,” Carol’s work has been hands-on at the grass roots level.
In her volunteer work in Katoomba’s primary schools she tries to help bullies build their confidence, see the error of their ways and be more responsible. To the bullies, she would explain: “Everybody’s somebody. And they’ve all got feelings.”
Actively intervening against bullying, she assists by walking vulnerable kids, including those with disabilities, to the bus, and more. “I like to make sure the kids are okay,” she says. It’s a role Carol learned from her beloved older sister Jenny. The oldest girl in the family, Jenny looked after her nine siblings while their parents worked, often shielding them from bullying. “She was the best sister anybody could have and just wanted to fix that,” Carol says.
Sharing her own childhood story and culture has been another way of building a bridge between cultures. “I love kids,” Carol says. This extends beyond the Indigenous, to embrace children of all cultures.
Lessons from her Elders
Carol attributes everything she’s learned and her ability to care to female mentors in community work, and having a close, loving family who taught her all about the land and how to treat others.
Her father (a member of the Gundungurra tribe) served in World War II and a reserve (Digger Cooper Reserve) in Leura is named in his honour. A Blue Mountains bridge (Auntie Joan Cooper Bridge) was named after Carol’s mother. A Darug woman born in Parramatta, Joan also won an Order of Australia.
Carol says, “We had it good. We’ve always been a close family. We’ve been blessed; we’ve been lucky. They [her parents] taught us the right way.”
Her mother constantly taught to look after people and help where needed. Of Carol’s victimisation, her mother said, “I know you’ve got scars Carol, but forget the scars, don’t even think of them. If you’re not looking you can’t see it. Always, always be nice to people. Because sooner or later people are going to be nice back to you.” In a world blighted by war, violence and social division, it’s a vital message.
Aunty Carol Cooper at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. Carol was unable to have children of her own, but her lessons of peace, love and co-operation will endure in the lives of the many children and adults whose lives she has touched.
“Treat people how you’d like to be treated” – Aunty Carol Cooper.
Take Action:
Find ways to volunteer and contribute to peace and co-operation within your local community.
Help stand against racism, bullying and violence. Teach your children to do the same.
Learn about Indigenous culture and how its’ values of land care, contribution and community, can help save the planet.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Early bird registrations and call for submissions are now open for our groundbreaking conference and community expo bringing together the Australian Bushfire Building Conference and the Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management Conference from the 20-22 November. Visit the Full Cycle 2025 website to purchase your ticket, or register your interest in partnering, speaking, sharing research, exhibiting or running workshops (link in profile): https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
Katoomba`s Against the Grain compresses sawdust into briquettes. They`re heating homes across the Blue Mountains and dramatically reducing landfill waste. Read more in our Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/turning-sawdust-into-gold/
What a glorious Spring day! We spent most of it outside: enjoying Tai Chi in the sunshine; with an outdoor stall at the Sustainability Festival; and at Bushcare - where we welcomed new members to the group, and finally cleared our way through what once seemed like an impenetrable wall of weed.
We`re excited about tomorrow: Tai Chi at 8am Book here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/47WI2YO, the @bluemtns_sustainability_fest from 10am at the Cultural Centre and throughout Katoomba and Leura, and Bushcare from 1.30pm (link in profile): https://bit.ly/420ofE4 (NB. Lis will be heading straight to Planetary Health Bushcare after her talk!)
Check out how Blue Mountains City Council`s environment team worked with students from Kindlehill School at the Planetary Health Centre to demonstrate how to stop erosion on a slope using natural materials. This technique slows stormwater flows, builds soil and reduces water pollution downstream. Our `How to Do Cool Things` playlist on our YouTube channel has lots of other helpful videos too! (link in profile) #erosion #stormwater #repair #regeneration #erosioncontrol #planetaryhealth #watermanagement...
There is a little bit of magic happening on Wednesdays at the Planetary Health Centre as young volunteers from @kindlehill_high_school, and Council staff, work together to create a demonstration site for the wider community. This hands-on program is inspiring all involved, including teacher Sarah Daniel. In her reflection on their Bushcare session, reprinted here, she was reminded of Arundhati Roy’s words that ‘another world is not only possible, she is on her way.’
Read more in Katoomba Area Local News (Link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/another-world-is-possible/
If you`re feeling overwhelmed, this Saturday offers inspiring opportunities to `re-set` mind, body and spirit with morning Tai Chi, Qigong and breakfast at the Planetary Health Centre at 8am; the Sustainability Festival at the Cultural Centre from 10am; and Planetary Health Bushcare to fully reconnect with nature and help regenerate habitat for wildlife at 1.30pm. Reserve your spot for Tai Chi here: https://bit.ly/47WI2YO and Bushcare here: https://bit.ly/420ofE4
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in Australia but Community Defibrillators are easy to use and may help you save someone`s life. Learn how in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdPTT4r0T4&t=60s
Our Planetary Health Bushcare Group had a ball today at the annual Bushcare Picnic and we were thrilled that our youngest member, Arthur van der Meer, was presented with the Junior Bushcare Award. Our inspiring Bushcare Officer Karen Hising, also leads the Narrowneck Bushcare Group which was recognised for 5 years of service to the Bushcare Program. We`re looking forward to our next Bushcare afternoon on Saturday 6 September from 1.30-4.3pm. All welcome.
You can now read the latest Planetary Health newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/41u8ftQ
Lots of great stories, events and videos! You can subscribe via the Planetary Health website (link in profile): https://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/
This year, the Australian Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management conferences are joining forces with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative for Full Cycle 2025, to increase collaboration across sectors, from design to disposal. This vital conference and community expo will explore approaches to reducing risks in a changing climate: from multi-hazards like fire, flood, heatwave and extreme humidity, to hazardous materials like mould, microplastics, PFAS, asbestos and engineered stone. Registration will be live in the coming weeks. In the meantime, visit the Full Cycle 2025 website for more information and to sign up to the mailing list (link in profile) https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
Yesterday the community gathered to celebrate Sister Jacinta Shailer`s 98th Birthday! Earlier this year at the Planetary Health Centre she urged us all to join a revolution centred in the transformative power of love, by joining heroic communities that foster compassion, justice, care of the needy, creative imagining, ways of life-giving thinking, ways of contemplating the wonders of our world in the small and the large, the weird and the wonderful. Watch an excerpt of her speech here or read our full story published earlier this year in Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/create-heroic-communities/
Linda Moon has lived in the upper Blue Mountains since childhood and is a freelance writer for Australian media. A qualified naturopath, permaculture designer, mother and former student of social work, her passion is building local community, gardening, mental, emotional, social, housing and environmental health – all of which are linked!
On the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima the Planetary Health Initiative and the Blue Mountains Peace Collective hosted a Peace Symposium and Community Picnic to provide pathways for everyone to take steps for a more peaceful future.
Enjoyed this article? Please help spread the word :)
Support the Future of Solutions-Focused Neighbourhood News
