Many Australians view fire as a destructive force, but there’s more than one type of fire. Aboriginal people have been burning this country for centuries, helping to encourage native vegetation, improve food availability for humans and animals, and restoring balance in the ecosystem. Knocklofty Reserve was a very different environment not so long ago, but when we look out at the vegetation there today, we rarely see what’s been lost and what’s misplaced. Reigniting Aboriginal fire culture in Tasmania is a crucial step towards restoring our connection to country and our ability to understand and respect our fragile habitats.
Talk by Andry Sculthorpe and Billy Paton-Clarke with music by Emily Wurramara.
Suggested walking location
Knocklofty Reserve, Hobart
Many Australians view fire as a destructive force, but there’s more than one type of fire. Aboriginal people have been burning this country for centuries, helping to encourage native vegetation, improve food availability for humans and animals, and restoring balance in the ecosystem. Knocklofty Reserve was a very different environment not so long ago, but when we look out at the vegetation there today, we rarely see what’s been lost and what’s misplaced. Reigniting Aboriginal fire culture in Tasmania is a crucial step towards restoring our connection to country and our ability to understand and respect our fragile habitats.
Meet the presenters
Andry Sculthorpe
Andry Sculthorpe is a pakana man who works for the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre’s milaythinna pakana land management program, and is a director for the Fire sticks alliance Aboriginal corporation.
Billy Paton-Clarke
Billy Paton-Clarke is from truwana/ Cape Barren Island. He moved to Hobart at 18, not knowing anyone, and found his way into land management. He now works as a pakana Ranger with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, caring for country. He loves getting out into country, whether with work or family, especially camping and exploring with his two daughters.
Meet the musician
Photo Credit: Liv Jarvis
Emily Wurramara
Originally from Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, growing up Emily loved hearing her uncles sing, but also realised that women from her community rarely sang in public. Wanting to inspire and empower members of her community, especially young Indigenous women, to find their voice, Emily embarked on a musical journey that has touched the hearts and minds of audiences across Australia and internationally.
Emily’s debut album received an ARIA nomination and AIR award for Best Blues and Roots Album. She is a 6 times Queensland Music Award winner and has toured extensively across Australia, Canada and Ireland.
Website: https://www.emilywurramara.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emwurramara/
Feature image credit: Dearna Bond
ABOUT SCI ART WALKS
Sci Art Walks is a project by Beaker Street Festival, an annual celebration of science and art in Hobart, Tasmania. The unusual circumstances of 2020 inspired us to innovate, and create something that would get people away from their screens and out into nature. You might say Sci Art Walks is a project for a pandemic. In times of uncertainty and anxiety, many of us find solace in our natural world. Creating these episodes was also a great opportunity to continue to facilitate collaborations between scientists and artists, and showcase some of the amazing talent and groundbreaking scientific research coming out of Tasmania.
CREATED BY MARGO ADLER, CHRIS TOWNEND, AND ROSIE PIDD
9 EPISODES
