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Aunty Eileen Joyce Baxter, a founding member of the East Gippsland Aboriginal Women’s Group. Aunty Eileen’s portrait is part of a collection of portraits of local Elders now on display in the Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place at GEGAC.
A collection of beautiful photos of GunaiKurnai Elders is now on display at the Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place at GEGAC.
The photos were taken in 2006 by well-known photographer Angela Lynkushka, and for some years had been hanging on the walls of the Keeping Place meeting room.
In recent times they have been in storage.
But last month GEGAC’s Culture Team decided the photographs needed to be once again shared with community.
“These men and women are such an important part of our story,” said GEGAC’s Cultural Manager Alana Solomon.
“Not just the story of GEGAC, but really the stories of all of us. Many of them have passed now. But having these photos back up in the Keeping Place means a lot to us, and I think it will mean a lot to community.”
Alana said she hopes that mob get down to the Keeping Place to have a look at the photos, have a yarn and share some memories.
“We’ve done a bit of work on the place to make it a comfortable, welcoming place to come and sit, have a cuppa, have a yarn,” she said.
“It’s such a nice place to be. We really hope that community members take advantage of that, to come down and take another look at the Keeping Place, or come for the first time if you haven’t been here before.”
The Keeping Place is open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and on Friday from 9am to 3pm.
The portraits of the Elders were commissioned by the State Library of Victoria.
The photographer, Angela Lynkushka, has also exhibited works in the Museum of Modern Art Library in New York, La Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, the International Music Museum in London, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Australian National Gallery in Canberra.
The Keeping Place is free to visit for members of the local Aboriginal community.
To learn more about the Keeping Place visit https://gegac.org.au/keepingplace/
