A newsletter for the Didjeridu player......June 2002 Volume 8 Issue 6
by Ed Drury
The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns has a very exciting and unique perspective in the history of cultural education in Australia. Unique in the number of levels it has functioned to promote better understanding on the part of interested outsiders as well as the Tjapukai people itself. It wasn't that long ago that the Tjapukai language was under a severe threat. Efforts to relearn the Tjapukai language began in 1987. Since then, the language has experienced a revival. Through the efforts of a dedicated group of people, community interest in the Tjapukai language program has flourished alongside a cultural renewal brought about by the Tjapukai Dance Theatre.
Now, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Queensland has brought about a tremendous web site, which extends the reach of their educational and entertaining programs around the world. I was able to have some of my questions answered by Jim Russell, now general manager, about the history and current activities of this remarkable Australian resource.
[Ed] You are the Retail Gallery Manager Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Parks, is that right? How long have you served in those capacities and what are you duties?
[Jim] Belinda is the Retail Gallery manager, and has held that position for about six months. Prior to that I held the position for some years.
[Ed] Who are the Tjapukai?
[Jim] The "Tjapukai" people, (often also spelt "Djabugay") were the original tribal occupants of the rainforest land around the Kuranda area. Kuranda is now a small township located in the mountains behind what is now Cairns, in the north of Queensland.
[Ed] How did the Tjapukai Dance Threatre come into being?
[Jim] Tjapukai began in 1987 as Australia's first Aboriginal Dance Theatre Company Opening in the basement under some shops in the Rainforest village of Kuranda, in North Queensland, Australia.
Born of a need to portray Aboriginal culture with dignity and pride, Tjapukai started as a co-operative partnership between six young men from the Tjapukai (People of the Rainforest) tribe and Don & Judy Freeman, international theatre artists with a global background in producing community theatre.
Together, the group created the longest hit in Australia's theatre history - Tjapukai holds the Guinness Book of Records entry as the longest running show in the country. Tjapukai's presentation style blends age old tradition with modern theatre techniques. Traditional dances and the telling of Dreamtime legends merge with modern techniques, illusion lighting, popular music and an ironic sense of humour.
[Ed] How did the Tjapukai Theatre evolve into the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Parks?
[Jim] Tjapukai Dance Theatre quickly outgrew it original home and in 1989 moved into its new purpose built theatre complex. This facility, which included a 300 seat theatre and extensive gift shop and gallery quickly cemented the company's position as the World leader in indigenous tourism
In 1996, Tjapukai moved from Kuranda to their new home, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park 15 minutes north of Cairns, QLD. Situated on 25 acres, the park is a stunning theatrical interpretation of Aboriginal civilization from the beginning of time into the future. Seven separate arenas allow visitors to experience all facets of this incredible culture, while the park's majority shareholders are the Aboriginal tribal councils, ensuring that the benefits of cultural tourism are conferred directly back to the people, the bama, of the Rainforest.
In 1998, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park received a national Australian Tourism Award for excellence in tourism. It is the fourth time Tjapukai has been honoured with the national award. Since it began, the company has won numerous accolades and has received an unprecedented 25 major state, national and international awards.
[Ed] What is available to interested people both online and at your Cultural Park?
[Jim] Online our site does explain a little about Tjapukai, but it is currently being completely revamped and will soon be a much more comprehensive resource. Estimated date of completion will be by end July. At the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, visitors usually spend two to three hours on average and during that time they will be both entertained and educated. Within the park visitors will see four live shows or presentations (the Creation Story, the Dance Show, the Bush Food and Medicine Show, and the Didgeridoo Show) one movie (the History film) and also experience spear and boomerang throwing under expert guidance. We also have the gallery and a five star buffet restaurant, with all this situated on 25 acres at the foot of the Kuranda Range.
[Ed] Can you tell me about some of the principals who comprise your overall resources in cultural education? Who are the people who, along with yourself, make the organization go?
[Jim] As you would expect, all of the performers in our shows are Aboriginal people and we always give preference in our employment to Tjapukai Aboriginal people; people from the local Aboriginal community. These performers are a very key part of who makes the organization "go" but we have many other valuable people too. Overall we have around 100 employees and about 80 of them are indigenous people.
[Ed] I understand you've won several awards and been recognized in print. Tell us a bit about that.
[Jim] We are proud to say that we are the most awarded attraction in Australia, and that includes the much bigger attractions such as Sea World and Movie World! We have won many awards from numerous national and international organizations all of which not only make us quite proud, but also confirm that we are doing something right!
[Ed] Are there concerns about the information available via the World Wide Web as far as misrepresentations of Aboriginal people, distortions of facts or any other concerns you'd care to speak to?
[Jim] Yes, it seems that greed often over rides morality. However we are proud of what we do as well as how we do it, and we tend to focus on that above what our competitors or imitators might do. The issue of un-authentic art and artifacts is more upsetting to us though. Art that looks to be of Australian Aboriginal origin but is in fact produced in Asian countries such as Indonesia is now becoming common throughout the world. Sold as the real thing, this is not only cheating the buyers but also robbing real Aboriginal artists of jobs here in Australia. On top of all that, many of the motifs in real Aboriginal art are handed down through many generations over thousands of years and are genuinely considered to be quite sacred Only certain Aboriginal people are permitted to paint them but the Asian copies reproduce these sacred motifs without understanding, or giving thought to their precious origins.
The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park is the 2001 ATEC - "Australia's Top Attraction" winner and was visited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in March of 2002.
Visit the Tjapukai web site at www.tjapukai.com.au/
Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park Caravonica Lakes, Smithfield, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia.
Phone: (617) 4042 9900 Fax: (617) 4042 9990 Web Site: http://www.tjapukai.com.au/
e-mail: tjapukai@tjapukai.com.au