stories into textile art

Ations Artists

Arnhem

Maningrida community tour

India with Jarracharra, exhibition oftraditional designs

Sundarbans, I shared our Jarracharra book so they too can see how we make our designs,” smiles Marawarr.

Wurrkidj’s fibre baskets made of wetland grasses struck a chord too: highly regarded for this craft learned at her grandmother’s knee, she has been exhibiting these and her trademark bark paintings and hollow logs across Australia and Europe for the past two decades.

THE IDEA bEHIND JARRACHARRA

The Bábbarra Women’s Centre was established as a women’s refuge in the early 1980s, supporting the financial independence of Maningrida’s Indigenous women who speak the Kunwinjku language.

Ndjébbana leader Helen Williams founded it with a strong vision for Maningrida women’s rights. It is operated by the 40-yearold Aboriginal-owned Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation which generates economic opportunities for the region’s clan groups to live on their homelands.

Bábbarra Designs is the main social enterprise operating at the women’s centre. Stalenberg tells us, “During the nineties, the women were introduced to Lino printing on fabric via a series of workshops. In 2003, they were introduced to screen printing by senior textile designer Bobbie Rueben. Both art forms took off as the women were able to use a contemporary medium to tell sacred women’s stories and share indigenous knowledge about the food they eat, their songlines, dances and their country. The designs that are exhibited span many years of development from 2003 to 2019. They capture stories about culture in a way that can be shared with a wide audience and preserved – in cloth.”

Jarracharra was co-curated in 2018 by then managers Ingrid Johanson and Jessica Phillips. It features 44 textile designs created by 17 artists.

Following the India tour, Jarracharra will go to Cyprus and Ghana. The artists will include some of the new textiles developed at Tharangini Studio – Bengaluru’s oldest heritage textile studio – as part of a slightlyrevised collection. (Visiting Paris for the very first time, the artists were so fascinated by the architecture that they included the iconic Eiffel Tower and The Louvre in their new designs.)

“We hope that the tour has helped all the groups we have been introduced to find points of intersection in culture and potential collaboration in design. It has been wonderful for the artists to discover new techniques and we hope that this initiative brings about future collaboration,” Stalenberg concludes.

Hey there! I am Debashree, a digital content creator, I go by travel in style with debs on Instagram. Are you planning your next holiday? I may be able to help you.

I believe in making the most out of the long weekends, or school holidays, utilising them to plan getaways, and spending quality time with my family. Living in a fast-paced city like Melbourne, working as a digital content creator, and hustling with the responsibility of being a mother to a 9-year-old girl, I look forward to the escapades close to Melbourne. One of our favourite destinations in Victoria is the gold rush-era city of Ballarat. For me, Ballarat is always a top choice for my family of three, as we love to connect to the city’s rich culture, art, and nature. It is a fun place for kids, so it is a great way to get my daughter to disconnect from her iPad.

Located just an hour and a half by road from Melbourne CBD (and about the same by V/Line train), Ballarat was one of the many trips we took during the January school holidays as it is a one-stop destination for many adventures.

Whether you wish to explore the gold rush era at Sovereign Hill or unwind with your family over a picnic at Lake Wendouree, this family destination offers many enriching experiences. If you are thinking about where to begin, let me share some highlights of this enchanting destination with you, so that you can plan your trip to the lovely city of Ballarat.

Sovereign Hill

Ballarat’s goldfields have been attracting visitors and those seeking their fortune since 1851. We booked our tickets to explore the underground mines and discover what life looked like during the gold rush. Going down into the gold mines was quite a thrilling adventure. Make sure to grab your interactive maps from the reception before you start exploring. One of the highlights of Sovereign Hill is AURA, an immersive 90-minute sound and light experience which runs on Saturday nights. There are also school holiday programs and special events throughout the year, including the amazing Winter Wonderlights. They have an annual pass if you plan on going back with visiting family and friends.

Ballarat Wildlife Park

Getting up close and personal with exotic and native animals like the koalas, meerkats, wombats, snakes or giant tortoises, hand feed kangaroos, and get a glimpse of Kai the Sumatran/Siberian tiger (the tallest tiger in Australia). We snapped a cute selfie with a koala that was as cheeky as we were. We also grabbed lunch at the café located in the park. Here's a tip for you: carry a rug, order in your food from the café sit outside – it’s like having lunch in nature’s lap and with kangaroos around.

Ballarat tram muSeum lake Wendouree

We usually go for the ''100-year-old tram" ride every time we visit Ballarat. The tram passes between Ballarat Botanical Gardens and Lake Wendouree. The tram drivers are volunteers who share interesting stories on the way. My daughter loves to hop on to explore the trams at the new museum. The museum is open every weekend and most of the Victorian school holidays.

One of the highlights of our last trip was the 10km family-friendly bike trail which loops around Lake Wendouree and Victoria Park. This is one of my favourite trails to explore. I would recommend stopping to visit the Golden City Paddle Steamer. We love the tranquillity of Lake Wendouree, while my daughter enjoys her playtime in nature. The numerous boat sheds, especially the colourful ones, are our favourite spots to grab a family selfie. You can grab lunch on the go at Pipers by the Lake; it’s a beautiful place they are located in. With the Labour Day long weekend coming up, we plan to visit Ballarat again this autumn.

tHe Ballarat Begonia feStival (11-13 marcH 2023)

This festival is a must. Colourful installations, floral displays of rare begonias, live markets, and family activities. A floral extravaganza indeed. All the family activities run at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens from 10 am to 5pm, during the festival days. This year’s festival includes Bloom! performed by SWAY. It’s a colourful aerial spectacle performed atop bespoke 15-foot sway poles. My daughter is also looking forward to spending some time exploring the mini cubby installations. Other family activities include face painting, a sports zone (Western Bulldogs, if you follow AFL), an obstacle course, tram rides, and many more. Something to cater to your entire family young and old.

After the festival, the begonia displays continue until late April, so plenty more selfies are to be found!

Pick Your oWn SunfloWerS in dunnStoWn

One can’t get enough of the floral bliss, why not club your begonia experience with a family adventure in the sunflower fields?

Last year I took my daughter to visit the village of Dunnstown and we managed to grab some mom-anddaughter time among the giant sunflowers. It was the most beautiful paddock we’d ever seen. There’s an ample amount of parking and a cute food truck to grab some munchies too. The short season starts in March and you need to book online.

Adventures fill the soul, but good food fills your tummy, let me suggest some of the places where you can refuel yourself and your family:

Lilly’s at Eureka: Located at the Eureka Centre, Lilly’s is nested amidst the outdoor playground (which my daughter loves) and pool with splash park (open during warmer months). Their coffee and brunch menu rocks and I am a fan of their outdoor seating. Grab their Goldmine pancakes which come with “gold flakes” and a side of chocolate “dirt”. Highly recommended. We as a family love to relax in their outdoor space with coffee and brunch. Hydrant Food Hall: Serving an innovative seasonal menu and aromatic speciality coffee in a lush green setting. Their rainbow pancake, topped with fresh fruits, marshmallows and maple syrup is an absolute favourite for kids (even I tried it once). The Forge Pizzeria: The locals love to dine here and who doesn’t love a good wood fired pizza? My daughter loves the kid's size Bolognese and Napoli pasta.

Delicious vegetarian food can be found at Cafe Merkama and Carboni’s Italian Kitchen. If you're looking for Indian food, try Indian Grill opposite the Eureka Stockade Memorial Gardens, Ballarat Indian Restaurant near Sovereign Hill, or Aroma of India in the city centre.

For overnight stays with family in the city of Ballarat do check out these places below:

Kryal Castle: Stay overnight in a castle suite! Includes free all-day entry to the medieval-themed adventure park where you can create some magic potions, take photos with mythical beasts and watch the knights battle on horseback.

Sovereign Hill Hotel: Stay in the heart of the action with all the goldrush excitement right on your doorstep, how exciting does that sound? Waking up to yet another day of an adventure of the gold rush era. I personally haven’t stayed here but we plan to do so this year on the Labour Day long weekend.

Quest Ballarat Station: 1, 2- and 3bedroom apartments, so a good option if you need connecting rooms. I am planning to book a stay once I have my extended family who is flying from India this year. The location is what I love the most – it is right in the centre of Ballarat, next to the train station. The lake bike trail also starts just over the road.

No matter how many times we visit Ballarat, there is always something new to explore in that city.