2024 Yarning With Our Elders Project
“One of our greatest gifts is our Elders’ incredible
wealth of knowledge, wisdom, strength and experience.”
Our Patron Aunty Ruth Hegarty
**Please be advised that these posts contain the images of deceased persons**
Over the Christmas holidays and term 1, 2024, QATSIF and our partners at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) encouraged Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students to have a yarn with an Elder about topics like:
What was it like growing up in their local community?
Their Stolen Generations or Stolen Wages story.
What is their advice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people?
Important local traditional language words, their meaning and pronunciation.
Important local traditional stories, dances, technology or history.
What did they learn from their own Elders?
Students are invited to share their Elder’s story using any appropriate media eg. video, voice recordings, essay, poetry, music, interviews etc.
2024 Yarning With Our Elders Project
1st Place: Fletcher Griffin (Year 8, Allora P-10 State School)
We would like to congratulate Fletcher Griffin (Year 8 at Allora State School) for his interview with Aunty Flo Watson which won the Junior School QATSIF Yarning With Our Elders Project award.
Fletcher Griffin with Aunty Flo Watson
2023 Yarning With Our Elders Project
1st Place: Bella Thompson (Year 8, Unity College)
2023 Highly Commended entries
Lilliana Joinbee (Year 7, Atherton State High School)
Meda-Hope Caulfield-Anning (Year 8, Atherton State High School)
Lillian Caulfield-Anning (Year 12, Atherton State High School)
2022 Yarning With Our Elders Project
The 2022 winning entry was from Isabella Eurell from Emmanuel College.
Isabella's entry entitled "Barcoola" tells the moving story of her great grandmother, Marley Lena Byerly (Bostock) who was one of the first Aboriginal Brownie leaders in Australia. (Please be advised that this video contains the images of deceased persons)
Barcoola or Brown Owl was highly respected and much-loved by her Brownies, family and within the wider community.
QATSIF thanks and congratulates Isabella for sharing her great grandmother's story.
2021 Yarning With Our Elders Project
QATSIF thanks all of our deadly Elders and young people who took part in our 2021 Yarning With Our Elders Project. You can check out one of the entries below.
Elders: Aunty Florence Watson; Uncle Ivan Pickering, Aunty Penelope Hill.
Students: Tawhiti Barr (Year 8, Gregory Terrace); Ronald Watson (Year 7 Bribie Island State School); Bowie Ellis (Year 6 Banksia Beach State School), Charlotte Ellis (Year 9 St Columban's College)
We also thank the Australian Catholic University (ACU) for supporting our project.