The Terrier – Carol Altmann

Young Gunditjmara woman Jess Chatfield speaks from the heart about her fight to save Framlingham forest and the Hopkins River from a bluestone quarry that is proposed for land nearby.

This 8min work was created by Jess under the guidance of Warrnambool’s best digital storyteller, Colleen Hughson, who is an extraordinary teacher.

This digital storytelling mentorship was funded by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, who generously supported an idea put forward by The Terrier and which has now come to life.

Jess is a natural storyteller and it has been a privilege to be a part of this mentorship and to learn so much from Jess and her family along the way. I am going to miss our Fridays, but this will not be the last you hear from Jess, I just know it.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

I wasn’t planning a post tonight, but today I saw an exhibition by Tasmanian-based artist Julie Gough about the attempted annihilation of Aboriginal Tasmanians/Palawa – an attempt which, as we know, was carried across Bass Strait to the colonial invasion of south-west Victoria, our home.

The murders. The kidnaps. The thefts. The near annihilation. Julie’s work is sobering and absolutely heartbreaking.

And I came away with one repetitive thought: what can I do?

What can I do?

One thing I can do is to use what I know best – words – to tell indigenous stories from south-west Victoria and to help illuminate our real history, not the white-washed version I grew up with.

South-west Victoria is saturated with rich indigenous stories, both contemporary and past.

I recently applied for some funding to help me do this by bringing others into The Terrier to help tell these stories.

I am still waiting to hear how my application has gone – fingers crossed – but with or without this support, this is one path The Terrier will be taking as it heads into its second year.

On we go.