Art, community and connection. Some of the students proudly displaying their paintings at Blue Mountains TAFE, Katoomba. From left to right: Tori Christianson, Leanne Jones, Maree O’Brien and Ginni Christianson.“It’s a big chatfest,” says teacher, Leanne Tobin. (Photo: Linda Moon)
Story and photos by Linda Moon
Artists with an Indigenous heritage are telling their stories and finding a voice through a certificate course in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts at Blue Mountains TAFE.
The offering of a Certificate 2 and 3 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Cultural Arts is empowering ATSI students to connect to their cultural histories. While developing art skills and techniques they convey personal stories that explore the often untold truth of Australia’s past.
People come from as far away as Portland, Kurrajong and Summer Hill to attend Leanne Tobin’s class.
For the students the class offers much more than artistic skills and creative expression. They gain social connection and the ability to talk about their life experiences within an accepting environment. For this art class, the common bond is being descended from Indigenous people and what that brings.
Dharug community artist and cultural educator, Leanne Tobin, works alongside Ilona Bruckard, another Aboriginal Art teacher and together they encourage the students to tell their own personal journeys. “Sometimes they do portraits. It can be emotional. There’s lots of tears,” she shares.
An artwork ‘in progress’ by B Hardy resulting from the course. “Acceptance is healing,” says teacher Leanne Tobin. (Photo: Linda Moon)
Power in authenticity and acceptance
Student, artist and mother, Leanne Jones, values the class as a place where she can be authentic. Jones has Dharug and Wiradjuri ancestry but that fact was kept hidden from her and her sister. She travels all the way from the Hawkesbury to attend the class. “You have to be yourself,” she says. “Everyone in this class has a story. We get to say who we are, why we’re here.”
At school Jones was kicked out of the classroom for questioning a history lesson on the discovery of Australia (by Captain Cook). “I said, ’no, sir, there were already people there’.” She recalls three children from the Stolen Generation at her school. “You could tell,” she says. But, back then, parents didn’t talk about being Aboriginal.
Dinawan Ngarraarry [Emu Hunt] by Indigenous artist and course participant Leanne Jones. Winner of the 2022/23 Blacktown City Art Prize (Indigenous art category) (Photo: TAFE NSW)
“It’s a healing class.” – Leanne Tobin
Healing intergenerational trauma through community art
The course is only open to people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. As Tobin explains, this helps ensure participants feel culturally safe. “It’s a place where people can come and not be judged; a safe, cultural space.”
Many in the class have suffered from the impacts of what happened to their ancestors. The heart-wrenching injustices they describe seem inconceivable today but the shadows of those times remain. “There’s a lot of trauma in this class,” Tobin says. “Everyone has got some kind of story. Sometimes they share stuff they haven’t told anyone before. It’s a beautiful thing to see people feeling safe to tell their truth. All their stories form a collective narrative of what happened here on Country.”
The stories shared reflect what Tobin refers to as “first contact times where cultures collided”. Stories of disconnection from family, Country, culture, as well as shaming, suppression and secrecy, are common themes.
Tobin’s classes include a mother and daughter and also a father and daughter team. The course offers an enjoyable and constructive way they can experience intergenerational healing and learn about their family, Tobin says.
Tobin, who has also worked in jails with Koori offenders, says that this disconnection from family, culture and Country is often the underlying cause of Indigenous stress and trauma. Working in jails was frequently about filling in the gaps of questions, such as “why did my mother abandon me?”
“My passion for art comes from the need to tell stories that are untold.” Community artist and cultural educator, Leanne Tobin, at Blue Mountains TAFE, Katoomba. (Photo: Linda Moon)
Yarramundi’s descendent continuing the work
Tobin, a descendent of the Dharug people of Western Sydney, has a fascinating history of her own.
Her mother was born in a terrace house in Harris Street on the banks of the Parramatta River in 1933 where the Albion Hotel now stands. Many Dharug babies were born here because the White Australia Policy (of the time) restricted Aboriginal women from having their babies in hospital.
As a teenager growing up in Emu Plains she didn’t know anything about her family background. Her grandmother had kept their ancestry a secret from her mother.
In adulthood she discovered that her great grandfather x 4, was the distinguished tribal Elder and ‘Karadji’ (medicine man), Yarramundi – after whom the township Yarramundi was named. His daughter was Maria Lock – one of the first stolen generations, being the first enrolment at the Parramatta Native Institution set up by Governor Macquarie in 1814. Maria graduated fully literate and married illiterate convict carpenter Joseph Lock on the 26th January in 1824 at St John’s Church Parramatta in what was to be the first official interracial marriage in Australia. Maria was also a talented student who topped 100 European and 20 Aboriginal students in a state-wide academic test.
Tobin, a practising artist, has also distinguished herself. In 2011, she won the Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Prize for her painting Defending Country.
Held once a week for four hours (across two years), the certificate level course is something people can fit into their lives, Tobin says.
The students study and practise painting, printmaking, drawing, digital art, ceramics, sculpture and other visual art techniques. “We often have critique sessions that allow the students to see the various stages of development each artwork goes through and also opens discussion between the students on various techniques, challenges and stories,” she says. Each term a new unit begins exploring various media and also includes learning about various aspects of the cultural art industry, such as copyright and protocols within community.
The cultural component – recognising and identifying culture – is a core focus.
Connecting to Aboriginal culture also switches participants onto Caring for Country, Tobin says. “Everyone who resides on Country, now needs to take on that custodianship. We all need clean air, clean water, clean food.”
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.
Mould, lead paint, asbestos, silica dust from engineered stone bench tops and a wide range of chemicals, are amongst some of the many hazardous substances entering our environment and negatively impacting our health. Asbestos is found in over 3000 products including textured paints, moulded garden pots, brake pads and clutch linings in older cars, floor and ceiling tiles, lino, fibro, roofing, pipes and gutters, hot water systems, backing for switchboards and insulation boards in air-conditioning ducts, insulation, sealants, fillers, caulking and adhesives, gaskets for industrial and lab equipment and more. We’ll have information to take away and Blue Mountains City Council and the Asbestos and Hazardous Materials Consultants Association (AHCA) will be running free workshops on how to identify and manage these hazardous substances at the Planetary Health Centre`s Disaster Risk Awareness Expo in Katoomba on Sat 22 Nov. Find out more and register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Are you ready for the next bushfire, heatwave or flood? Why not take steps to prepare at the Planetary Health Centre`s Expo and Family Day on Sat 22 Nov. Award-winning Hempcrete designer Kirstie Wulf from @shelter.building.design will share 10 steps to build or renovate for sustainability and resilience; engineer Mark Liebman will share how you can build a green roof to reduce stormwater runoff and cool your building; Dr Agnieszka Wujeska-Klause will share research results on the most appropriate actions to lower heat in summer and help you use a thermal imaging camera to identify which surfaces retain the most heat; Frank Inzitari will introduce you to the @firehalo.au which can help reduce ember attack; and a team from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) will work with you to use the Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit to design your own personal bushfire plan. We`ll also be launching Firecoat`s new Bushfire Home Protection Kit. Learn more and register to attend here: https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
There are so many extraordinary volunteers keeping us and wildlife safe all year round! Come along and meet them at the Expo and Family Day at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on Saturday 22nd Nov. Learn what you can do to be ready for emergencies, and how you can volunteer or help in some other way. Together we can be more prepared and reduce the risk of disaster. There`ll be a free sausage sizzle so help give us an idea of numbers by registering here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Thank you Blue Mountains community for the generous donation of 11 sewing machines which we`ll be using for our free sewing workshop with Boomerang Bags at the Expo and Family Day on Sat 22 November at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. It`s an opportunity for the whole family to make free Christmas presents that `don`t cost the earth`! Register here if you`d like to attend (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J (and you`ll get a free fire retardant plant from Santa while you`re there!)
Did you know that Australia has the world`s highest incidence of asbestos-related diseases per capita in the world, killing more than 4,000 Australians every year - three times more than the annual road toll; and that asbestos-related deaths are predicted to rise! Asbestos isn’t just in fibro homes and sheds - it was used in the manufacture of more than 3000 asbestos containing products with many of these products remaining in any brick, fibro, weatherboard, clad home or apartment built or renovated before 1990. Asbestos was used everywhere in homes - lurking under floor coverings including carpets, linoleum and vinyl tiles, behind wall and floor tiles, in cement floors, internal and external walls, ceilings and ceiling space (insulation), eaves, garages, roofs, around hot water pipes, fences, home extensions, garages, outdoor toilets, backyard and farm structures, chook sheds and even in dog kennels. Exposure to asbestos fibres during home renovations has been linked to 51% of mesothelioma deaths. There is no cure for mesothelioma. The average survival time following diagnosis is just 10-12 months. Homeowners, renovators and tradies are most at risk of exposure if they disturb asbestos containing materials. On Saturday 22 November, “Betty – The Asbestos Education House” will be a prominent feature of the Blue Mountains City Council’s Disaster Risk Awareness Expo to help educate local homeowners and tradies about the dangers of asbestos that remains lurking in 1-in-3 Aussie homes including many throughout the Blue Mountains region as part of National Asbestos Awareness Month (November). There will also be workshops and stalls on asbestos and a range of other hazardous materials and how you can manage them to protect youreself, your family and your community. Find out more and register here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Emily from @handsheartfeet will be leading a free drumming workshop at the Planetary Health Centre Expo and Family Day in Katoomba on Sat 22 Nov. It`s suitable for all ages and so much fun! Places are limited so reserve your spot here: https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J (link in profile)
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out! Read it here: https://bit.ly/4o1FflK (link in profile)
It includes: • Expo and Family Day on Nov 22 • A Story of Purpose & Mental Health with Rotarian Peter Joseph AM from the Black Dog Institute on Nov 29 • How to Use a Sewing Machine Workshop on Nov 29 • Qigong, Upper Mountains Seed Saving & Gardening Group and Planetary Health Bushcare on Dec 6 • Legalising human composting as a sustainable death care option in NSW • The Climate Risk and Adaptation Plan for the Blue Mountains
We are so excited to be launching revolutionary new fire protection coatings that can stop your home burning down and slow the spread of fire. Learn more and pick up a sample pot at the Planetary Health Expo on Sat 22 Nov at 10am. FIRECOAT interior and exterior undercoat has been developed by scientists at UNSW and is already available for this fire season but new products will also be shared at the Expo, including a flexible fire-protective covering designed for temporary use on windows, doors, poles, fences, vehicles, equipment and other small assets. There is even a product that can create a fire-protective barrier around your home and these assets. FIRECOAT is waterproof, non toxic and game changing. Register here to attend the launch (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J and PLEASE SHARE. This breakthrough technology can help make our communities safer.
We’re thrilled that engineer Mark Liebman, who built a green roof in Blackheath, will be giving a free talk at the Planetary Health Centre Expo in Katoomba on Sat 22 November. Green roofs cool buildings, reduce stormwater runoff and increase biodiversity. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions and get tips on how to do it yourself. You can register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Are there native bees and insects in your garden? Today is the first day of Australian Pollinator Week and native bee ecologist and musician @amelie_ecology has just released a new single with Costa Georgiadis @costasworld called ‘Not all Pests’. We’re thrilled that Amelie will be performing her songs and running a free interactive workshop on what we can do to support our native pollinators at the Planetary Health Expo and Family Day on Saturday 22nd November. You can register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
and you can stream ’Not all Pests’ here (link in profile): https://amelieecology.bandcamp.com/track/not-all-pests
There are so many ways to have a greener healthier Christmas! Ever thought of giving a voucher for Tai Chi and Qigong classes? You can try out one of our Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre this Saturday at 9am. Tutor Virginia Field is currently introducing Qigong`s 5-Animals Play, an ancient practice which developed from observing animals and mimicking their behaviour. Reserve a spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3JlOAXh Find other ideas for a greener Christmas on Council`s website here: www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/greenchristmas
Or come along to our Expo and Family Day on 22 November and try out some other great options like drumming classes, sewing and fashion upcycling! Register to attend here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025
We’ve had some great news! Santa is coming to the free Community BBQ at the Planetary Health Centre Expo in Katoomba on Saturday 22 November. He’s arriving early to help us celebrate Christmas in a way that’s safer and healthier for us and the planet, and he’s let us know that he’ll be giving everyone who comes a free fire-retardant plant for their garden. We’re so thrilled we’re putting on fun family events for the day: from a fabulous free drumming workshop with Emily from Hands, Heart and Feet, to live music and a pollinator hunt with Amelie Ecology, and workshops to create plastic-free Christmas presents. There’ll also be an opportunity to meet the RFS, NSW Fire & Rescue, Red Cross and other emergency services. Come and learn ways to keep the family safe while also having fun, enjoying a coffee, sampling some plant-based sweets and a free BBQ lunch, and taking home lots of useful information about hazardous materials and preparing for extreme weather events! Register here to attend (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025?
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!
There is a little bit of magic happening on Wednesdays at the Planetary Health Centre as young volunteers from Kindlehill 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.
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