Years ago my dear friend Anthony Kelly was working on this documentary about Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe while we were housemates, sharing a house with our young kids. I was able to bring Anthony and Uncle Robbie to Hepburn Springs for a special screening of this doco last weekend, followed by an inspiring panel discussion at Radius Artspace. We were also welcomed by Djarra traditional owner uncle Rick, with a smoking ceremony. The whole experience felt deep and a great honour to be a part of.

I had met Robbie Thorpe when I was 18, as a young environmental activist. My friend arranged a consultation with him, to see what he thought about the work we were doing as activists in the environmental movement. The two of us met Robbie in an office at what I think must have been the Aboriginal health service on Gertrude Street. That meeting with Uncle Robbie was a pivotal moment in my life. He held back nothing, telling us about the truth of genocide and human rights abuses which has happened on this land towards the first peoples, and although he was encouraging of us to protect the environment, he was critical of the lack of awareness that activists had towards the truth, and the colonised view point often held in activism, where people want to protect their own back yard with little understanding of the spiritual connection to the land which the first peoples hold, which is not based in land ownership, but rather that we are a part of the land. I left that meeting incredibly moved, humbled and changed forever. So the opportunity to meet Robbie again after all these years felt very special.

It was the second time I had seen the doco, which is great. Anthony Kelly has a long time interest in non-violent action, and this documentary really captures an important aspect of history of the Aboriginal land rights movement and Uncle Robbie’s leadership and vision within it, as well as the importance of family, and especially the strength of the women in his life- his mother, grandmother, and the younger generation of women activists who are carrying the baton in this long journey of recognition- his daughters and nieces.

In the discussion afterwards, Anthony said that the story he wanted to tell, was not just one of intergenerational trauma, but also intergenerational strength, which was really apparent in Robbie’s story. Robbie briefly mentioned that spiritual connection to the land as being important for survival of our planet- the totemic system, the first nations spiritual systems around the world which naturally protect the environment. This resonates strongly with me. In my performance work I have been exploring invasive weeds and particularly the plant IVY in Australia, traditionally a portal to fairy realms in ancient Celtic lore, as a symbol of the lost spirituality and an invasive connection to the land of settler descendants, in my new work ‘What Use Hath Ivy’, a collaboration with composer Gemma Horbury. I have been also exploring this theme with collaborators in Indonesia for a number years with works such as Hades Fading, and the video installation What Type Nymph Was She? for AsiaTOPA, about how the loss of nature worship due to modern religion paves the way to environmental destruction.

Afterwards I spoke further with Robbie and others, about the massacres of Djarra people which happened locally to the area, and also coming back to the importance of fostering a spiritual connection to the land, and of the power of connecting with community around fire. Robbie is a truth teller and comes across as uncompromising, but at the same time compassionate and spiritual. ‘You’ve got to find the way that works for you’ he said. ‘When you are doing something with good intentions, spirit will always help you out.’

A special thank you to Carolyn Sanders, reconciliation officer from Hepburn Shire for supporting this event and making scones. Here are some photos from the day:

Check out Robbie Thorpe’s current work, prosecuting a case of Genocide to the international Community, using the lens of International Customary Law, at https://crimesceneaustralia.com/

Photos from Carolyn Sanders and Dale McDonald.