Never judge a book by its cover!

Reserve one of our 'Living Books' as part of this year's NAIDOC Week celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Listen to their story, delve deeper into their experience through a unique one-on-one encounter.

NO COST BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

The Living Books are:

Jenny Saulwick

As part of Living Books Jenny Saulwick will make available a slide show and tour of the many public artworks she has worked on throughout Cardinia and Casey Shire including a number in consultation with the Boon Wurrung people.

Jenny was mentored by her Yorkshire mother, a World War II bride whose preoccupation with being a local volunteer sprang from her experiences during the depression. Due to her mother’s influence Jenny has always involved herself in community work. 

Now 77 years old. Jenny holds and Bachelor and Masters in Education and has taught visual arts for years, in particular running a sculpture school.

Through her commitment to a community consultation based approach to Public Art Jenny has worked and consulted with a diverse range of individuals and community groups and many of her works can be found around Cardinia Shire. A number of hese community projects can be found on her website www.saulwickartonline.com

Aunty Carolyn Briggs

Aunty Carolyn Briggs is a Boonwurrung elder from Victoria who is recognised as a keeper of the history and genealogies of her people.

 She has been active in community development, Native Title, cultural preservation and cultural promotion.

For many years she ran the Tjanabi restaurant in Melbourne, which specialised in contemporary Aboriginal cooking.

Aunty Carolyn established Australia’s first Aboriginal child care centre and is CEO of the Boonwurrung Foundation, which she set up to help connect Aboriginal youth to their heritage. She has developed Indigenous employment strategies with the State Government and is a former director of La Trobe University's Aboriginal Tertiary Support Unit, Bendigo.

 As a mediator with the Equal Opportunities Commission, Carolyn was seconded to work with the Federal Attorney-General as head researcher for Victoria on the Muirhead recommendations to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

Carolyn Briggs is listed in the Australian Women's Who's Who, and was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2005. She is currently studying language and linguistics in the hope of recording her Boonwurrung language in oral and written form.

Bryon Powell

At the beginning of July 2000, Bryon Powell was appointed as the first Indigenous Community Development Officer within the region. Bryon’s position was the result of an initiative of the Inter Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee (ICACC) and is full time with the Cities of Greater Dandenong and Casey and the Shires of Cardinia and Bass Coast sharing the costs.

Bryon is and has been involved with the MAV Indigenous Network, the Local Indigenous Network, the Southern Metro Region Indigenous Family Violence Regional action Group, the Inter Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee (ICACC), the Local Aboriginal Community Partnership, various Reconciliation and NAIDOC Week events organised through councils, developed planning and social policies for councils such as the Flag Flying Policies, Reconciliation policies, the Aboriginal Heritage policy for Casey and responded to the needs of the local community where appropriate

As a Wathaurung Elder, Bryon has been involved in native title and cultural heritage issues for many years. He is an advocate for Aboriginal cultural heritage recognition and equality, an educator of the wider community in Aboriginal issues, a musician, ex roadie, has an interest in history, is a world traveller, a cultural observer, pilot, a proud father and a grandfather.

Maryanne Sam

(Torres Strait Islander, (Erub) Darnley Island. Meriam Mer)

A founding member of Ilbijerri Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative, Melbourne. Maryanne has worked in numerous capacities within the company including, administrator, production manager, director, project coordinator and theatrical agent. In 1995 Maryanne co-devised a one woman cabaret show, "Oh My God Im Black" produced by Melbourne Workers Theatre. In 2002 Maryanne’s play "Casting Doubts" was produced as part of Playbox/Ilbijerri Theatre's 2002 "Blak Inside" season and was featured in the New York based 'Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiatives'. In 2003 Maryanne developed “Lessons in Flight” which was further developed by Ilbijerri Theatre at the 2nd and 3rd Victorian Indigenous Playwrights Conferences (2003/2004), the Australian National Playwrights Conference (ANPC) in Newcastle Sydney, was short listed for the 7th International Women Playwrights Conference in Jakarta in 2006, and read at the 2007 World Indigenous Theatre Reading in New York.

Maryanne has acted in numerous professional theatre productions including "Up The Ladder", "Magpie" (MWT) “Oh My God Im Black” (Ilbijerri & MWT) and “Stolen”, (Playbox/Ilbijerri). She is the recipient of the 2002 inaugural Ilbijerri Theatre's 'Uncle Bob Maza' Award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Theatre' and received a Centenary Medal in 2004 for Services to Indigenous Arts. Maryanne is the recipient of the Australia Council for The Arts, 2007 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board Fellowship.

 Maryanne’s finest productions are her two beautiful girls: Tobi Meo and Maxi Rebecca.