Mornington Island Walpa

In 2014 I travelled to Mornington Island to record the making of a tradition raft/Walpa with a Lardil elder. This elder has recently passed and so out of respect for him and his family the video cannot be shown in the short-term. We made 5 short films, depicting each stage of the raft making process: Collecting Wood, Making Rope, Tying the Walpa, Making a paddle, and Sailing the Walpa.

We worked with two Year 6 classes at the Mornington Island State School to help capture the raft making process. The girls group worked with Kaiadilt elders to make rope and they also filmed the process by using small hand held HD cameras. This was an important part of the project as it brought together grandchildren with their grandparents and respected elders to learn, share and document their own stories. The boys group helped to sail the finished Walpa for the first time.

These films are held at both Mirndiyan Gununa on Mornington Island and the Queensland Museum. Aboriginal rafts are thought to be the original seacraft used to transport people to Australia more than 50,000 years ago. This is discussed on the Australian National Maritime Museum Website.

Organisation: Queensland Museum
Project: Documenting the making of a Mornington Island Walpa (Walba/Walpo)
Producer/Director: Pip Kelly
Exhibition Date: 2014