Reconciliation Week Ochre Ceremony

As part of National Reconciliation Week 2021, around 40 DesignInc staff were honoured to join in an ochre ceremony and bush walk at Middle Head, Gubbah Gubbah. We were guided by Susan Moylan-Coombs (Woolwonga and Gurindji), Founding Director of The Gamiragal Group, a First Nations organisation established to lead social change and create social impact.

We began with an ochre ceremony, women with women and men with men. Using ochre that had been ground to powder and mixed with water, each applied the paste to another person and spoke ritual phrases that helped open our eyes, hearts and understanding before we walked and talked together. We sat in a yarning circle on the headland while Susan created a vivid word painting of the world before Europeans sailed into the harbour. We were quiet, listening to the birds. We felt the sun and wind on our skin.  We thought. We remembered. We connected. 

Gathering together in the landscape to connect, listen, share, respect, learn, walk, dwell, it was a very special afternoon

Traditional ochre that is used for a ‘With this Sacred Ochre’ Ceremony

Painting ochre on each other in preparation for the cultural ritual

Long time friends Susan Moylan-Coombs and Craig Kerslake