Yarning Circle
nganggali ngara ngura
nganggali ngara ngura is Darkinyung language meaning: Talking Listening Place.
nganggali ngara ngura at Ourimbah Campus provides a safe place to be heard and to respond. It is a place to talk, share, discuss, educate and have a yarn together, a place to build respectful relationships and a space to enrich students’ learning experiences.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been using yarning circles for thousands of years. Yarning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was, and still is, a conversational process that involves the telling of stories as a way of passing on cultural knowledge. These circles provide a safe place for all to speak without judgement. The conversations within a yarning circle have always focused on strengths and not problem solving and criticisms. It is a collaborative way to communicate and provides a respectful place to be heard and to respond. Today, they are used as a meeting place for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal communities to come together.
Creating a yarning circle on the Ourimbah Campus represents our commitment to supporting and sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and acknowledges the connection between the University and Darkinung Country. The place is a significant and accessible meeting space for our local Aboriginal communities as well as the wider Central Coast community.
nganggali ngara ngura forms part of the Central Coast’s teaching and learning strategy, with the objective of enhancing students’ understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and ways of learning and working.
Our yarning circle forms the start-point of the existing campus nature trail and is located adjacent to the Student Amenities Building.Aboriginal ways of learning were embedded in the yarning circle foundations with the 8-Ways Creative and Productive Pedagogy Activities (and Symbols) informing the physical design. Construction included a fire-pit with seating materials sourced from a local quarry supplier.
Thanks to our Elder in Residence Aunty Bronwyn Chambers a Darkinung woman who assisted us with the design, placement and naming of the yarning circle on Darkinung Country.
nganggali ngara ngura will be available for use by staff, students and members of the community. Details on booking procedure and operational requirements when using the place will be available shortly.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.