Oxfam trailwalkers given special welcome to country

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Hundreds of participants in this year’s Brisbane Oxfam Trailwalker event on June 22-24 received a special welcome to Jinibara country by Elders of the Jinibara People Aboriginal Corporation (JPAC).

The Welcome to Country was facilitated by Australian Heritage Specialists (AHS) on behalf of Oxfam, with Uncle Noel Blair and Aunty Edna Van Hemman welcoming walkers at the start of the 100km route and 55km route respectively.

This year’s demanding trail saw walkers negotiating a scenic route through D’Aguilar National Park, with the 100km event starting at Mount Glorious and the 55km event kicking off at Lake Manchester.

AHS Principal Consultant Benjamin Gall said Uncle Noel and Aunty Edna were out on site at 5.45am for the start of each day’s session, with JPAC Coordinator Jason Murphy joining Aunty Edna on day two.

“AHS reached out to the Traditional Custodians for Mount Glorious and Lake Manchester through our extensive list of contacts and were able to quickly and successfully facilitate the Welcome to Country on both days of the event,” Mr Gall said.

“We’re proud to have played a part in this year’s Trailwalker Brisbane event and I’d like to congratulate Oxfam for another successful year, as well as all the participants who completed the extremely challenging routes.”

AHS offers a range of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage services including Indigenous consultation and facilitation.

Our Brisbane-based consultancy also delivers a variety of heritage services including heritage advice and assessments, heritage architecture and archaeology.