View from the Block: looking forward, looking blak

Kirsten Sandstrom is a science (health) student at Deakin University in Melbourne. This week, however, with 11 other young people from around the country, she is in Redfern to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NAIDOC.

Kirsten is a member of World Vision’s “Vision Generation” – an initiative designed to encourage sharing and learning among people of different cultural heritage. “I’m spending the whole week here on the Block,” she said. “I am feeling so fortunate to be sharing with lovely people. It’s a beautiful community here, and I’ve been made to feel so welcome.”

The Block March and Flag Raising Ceremony, scheduled for Monday 9 July, was postponed a day due to heavy rain. On the Tuesday two hundred or so people joined the official march from Redfern Park, and then gathered at Pemulwuy Park (top of Eveleigh Street) for a ceremony that included Aboriginal dancers, guest speakers from ICAMPA (the Inner City Aboriginal Multipurpose Association), the City of Sydney and World Vision. Then V-Gen delegates took part in the raising of three fags: the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Australian national fags.

(Aunty) Gloria McIntosh-Bon, an Aboriginal woman from far north Queensland, was in Redfern earlier this year for the inaugural Coloured Diggers march on Anzac Day (her father, Lui Bon, was a corporal in the army). This day, Gloria was given the honour of closing the official ceremony. She performed three gospel songs in the traditional language of her people.

Photo: Gloria Mackintosh performs at Pemulwuy Park Photo: Andrew Collis

Source: South Sydney Herald July 2007 http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/