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.
Global poisoning by a tsunami of toxins that are flooding the planet is fast becoming the biggest threat to life on earth. Extreme weather events like fire and flood accelerate this chemical pollution. To address this the Planetary Health Centre`s Full Cycle 2025 conference from 20-22 Nov is bringing together leading experts in managing extreme weather events as well as those who are working on reducing the risk of hazardous materials like asbestos and PFAS. According to keynote speaker Julian Cribb:
"The poisoning of our planet through human chemical emissions is arguably the largest human impact of all upon the Earth. In volume, it is four to five times greater than our climate emissions (which are a part of it), and three times more lethal than the estimated climate death-toll. It is the mega-threat least understood by society, monitored by science or regulated by government. It has mainly occurred over the last 50 years, due to a massive global surge in chemical use and materials extraction.
Scientific assessment has identified more than 350,000 man-made chemicals. The US Department of Health estimates 2000 new chemicals go on the market every year and the Smithsonian says 1000 new compounds are now being synthesised every hour. The UN Environment Program warns about a third of these “are persistent, able to accumulate in humans and animals and are toxic”.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 13.7 million people — one in every four — die each year from diseases caused by “air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change and ultraviolet radiation”, caused by human activity.
Human chemical emissions are thus responsible for the largest mass killing in history.
Learn more and register for the conference here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
There will be a free community expo on Saturday 22 November at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba.
Conference volunteers receive free registration. Email [email protected] if you’d like to volunteer at this critically important event.
T`ai-chi and Qigong routines can increase mobility and strength, improve immunity and help build an inner calm. To get the greatest health impact you need to practice them on a regular basis, so we`re thrilled to now be offering a 6-week block of classes to take you into summer starting 9am this Saturday 1 November and running until Sat 6 December. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4qrw4Nx This Saturday, 1 November, the activity is also the first in a full day of Skill Share activities at the Centre that includes Seed Saving and Gardening from 10am, and Planetary Health Bushcare from 1.30pm. You can book in for Bushcare here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/49k8PPo Contact Lis on 0407 437 553 for more information.
Rotarians 4 Planetary Health will be meeting again at the Planetary Health Centre at 6pm on Monday 27 October. Register at this link if you`d like to attend! (link in profile) https://events.humanitix.com/rotarians-4-planetary-health-l7bb4qhr?
Thank you to everyone who popped by for the @ediblegardentrailbluemountains today! It was a great day discussing gardens, ponds, frogs, seeds, composting seats, wicking beds and how to restore the hydrological cycle! Next Saturday will be our Skill Share Saturday. We`ll be kickstarting a 6-week block of Tai Chi & Qigong at 9am, launching our Seed Saving and Gardening Group at 10am and running our monthly Bushcare Group at 1.30pm. You can book in for Tai Chi here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/tai-chi-and-qigong-six-week-block-spring-2025-qaw2ts2v and to Bushcare here (link also in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-bushcare-spring-summer-2025
The Planetary Health Centre is on the Edible Garden Trail today! Last week we launched the Upper Mountains Seed Savers and Gardening Group. Come along to learn more, enjoy a coffee in our garden, and pick up a free Vegetable and Flower Sowing Guide. We`re open from 10am. You can find us at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba. Tickets for the Edible Garden Trail available here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-edible-garden-trail-2025
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out. Read about three days of innovation at the upcoming Full Cycle Conference in Nov, the Edible Garden Trail this weekend, and a six week block of Tai Chi and Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre (link in profile): https://bit.ly/47jbFBz
Today is an Extreme Bushfire Danger Day! Have you heard about the extraordinary fire resistant paint developed by Professor Yeoh and his team at UNSW? Professor Yeoh will be presenting at our Full Cycle Conference on Thurs 20 November. He is world renowned in the field of fire safety and his innovations are helping to keep people and property safe. Importantly among these innovations has been the development and commercialisation of FSA FIRECOAT paint (sold at Bunnings), which creates a protective insulating ‘char’ on a building when it’s exposed to flames. It is water based and non toxic. Watch it in action in this video (link in profile): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkA1RlxMjWQ
Join us at the Conference to learn more about Professor Yeoh’s work during three days of innovation and exploration in which leading speakers from around Australia will share how we can reduce the risks of natural hazards and hazardous materials. Places are limited so register here now (link in profile): https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
With new modelling suggesting a hot summer with increasing fire risk it`s worth making time now to learn more about how we can reduce the risk of disaster by registering to attend the Full Cycle Conference that`s bringing together the Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management Conferences in Katoomba on 20-22nd Nov. Group discounts apply if you register now here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
• Emma Whale from the NSW Reconstruction Authority will discuss how state-wide and place-based disaster adaptation planning is helping reduce risk;
• David Sanderson, the inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture at UNSW, will share the results of a landmark enquiry on how our response to disasters requires a change in housing policy and local government empowerment;
• Owen Price, Director of The Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at UOW will compare the patterns of housing loss in the NSW and Californian wildfires;
• Guan Heng Yeoh from UNSW will share how he developed the award winning FIRECOAT fire resistant paint;
• Everson Kandare from RMIT University will discuss the development of fireproof cladding made from molasses-cultured mycelium - a fungal biomass;
• Alan Green from the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre UOW will introduce Heatwave and Multi-Hazard Resilience Star Rating Tools for retrofitting houses;
• Emma Bacon from Sweltering Cities and Dr Kim Loo from Doctors for the Environment will discuss heat waves and social justice;
• Andrew Bovis from Integrated Water Solutions will discuss the potential use of treated blackwater as an independent water source for landscape hydration and fire fighting;
• Sara Jane Wilkinson from UTS will launch the Bushfire Retrofitting Toolkit for older Australians and do a session on green roofs and walls to reduce disaster risk and increase biodiversity;
• Melissa Knothe Tate will discuss research on tackling PFAS contamination;
Thank you to everyone who participated in our inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair today. It was an inspiring and thought provoking day with lots learnt, many connections made, amazing food consumed and stunning weather! We look forward to doing it again next year!
The inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair kicks off at 9am today at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Pop in to listen to a talk, watch a demo, grab a coffee and sweet treat from Good Fat Pastry, a delicious lunch from Bibi`s Kitchen, fresh mushrooms from EarthRising Mushroom Farm, locally acclimatised vegetable seeds from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers, and edible native plants from Muru Mittigar Ltd You can view the full program here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Planetary Health Centre is at 33-39 Acacia St (former Katoomba Golf Course).
The Fair is a World Animal Day event and has been supported by a sEEd grant from the Australian Association of Environmental Educators.
A huge thank you to Richard Burrell from Muru Mittigar Native Nursery who delivered us the following edible natives to sell at our Food Security Fair on Saturday 18th October:
Apple Berry Finger Lime Mat Rush Lomandra longifolia Midgen Berry Native Leek Native Parsnip Native Raspberry Female and male Pepper Berry Vanilla Lily Yam Daisy
You can view the full program for the Food Security Fair here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle
We`re thrilled that EarthRising Mushroom Farm will be at the Blue Mountains Food Security Fair this Sat 18 Oct with their fabulous fresh mushrooms, mushroom grow kits and other mushroom products. Alex can help you get started on mushroom growing and let you know more about the mushroom compost you can pick up from the Farm in Lawson. View the full program for the day here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Fair is at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre: 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba (former Katoomba Golf Course)
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!
Dave Spees, Katoomba-based carpenter and founder of Against the Grain, has turned the by-product of his craft into a sustainable, sought-after winter fuel. His compressed sawdust briquettes are now helping to heat homes across the Blue Mountains, all while dramatically reducing landfill waste.
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