Darwin visitors to get crash course in Larrakia culture

LARRAKIA “hosts” will teach visitors what is and isn’t appropriate on their country and aim to give tourists a more positive experience with indigenous people in Darwin under a new $2 million program

Aerial photo looking over The Esplanade at the Darwin city skyline.

LARRAKIA “hosts” will teach visitors what is and isn’t appropriate on their country and aim to give tourists a more positive experience with indigenous people in Darwin under a new $2 million program.

The cash, provided through the $200 million City Deal finalised last week, will pay for six hosts for three years.

Larrakia Nation chief executive Robert Cooper said one of the program’s aims was to more easily engage with Larrakia Traditional Owners.

There was potential for the hosts to provide walking tours and welcomes to country at the Waterfront for cruise ship passengers, he said.

Mr Cooper said tourists wanted to experience local indigenous culture, but sometimes struggled to find a way to do so.

“I don’t believe the tourists are currently having enough interaction with the Larrakia people as the Traditional Owners of Larrakia country and we should be at the forefront of improving the degree of engagement that tourists have with our people,” he said.

The hosts will also work with those who travel to Darwin from other communities in the Territory. They will speak one-on-one with visitors to remind them of the dos and don’ts of acceptable behaviour.

“We’re looking over a period of time to change attitudes, change perceptions and change behaviours of visitors to Darwin in regard to their understanding of Larrakia culture,” Mr Cooper said.

The program will work with the return to country and Larrakia day and night patrols to provide a “all up better service” to visitors to Darwin from other communities.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the program was a positive development in the presentation of Darwin’s CBD and in the way Aboriginal cultural was presented in the Territory.

Larrakia elder Richard Fejo said increasing awareness of cultural protocols would help to “build partnerships between the Larrakia people, the wider Darwin community and visitors”.