Justine Dillon

(This talk is rescheduled from August 24th)

This month's Gecko Talks guest speaker is Justine Dillon, a Proud Kombumerri woman, project manager for Ngarang-Wal Gold Coast Aboriginal Association Inc, an environmentalist and a passionate advocate for Indigenous cultural perspectives on land management and environmental protection.

Justine Dillon will be presenting on contemporary land management and environmental protection from the perspective of Indigenous Australian culture and tradition. Her extensive experience with Guanaba Indigenous Protected Areas gives her a unique insight into the cultural importance of protected areas. Her talk takes us through the Guanaba area at the foot of Mt Tamborine, which covers 100 hectares of dense rainforest and eucalyptus woodlands, forming a part of the traditional lands of the Kombumerri people.

Justine has 8,000 - 20,000 years of unbroken connection to the land of her family and as such, has specific rights to talk for her country as determined by the Aboriginal law and protocol. “When I say country, the country is all-encompassing. It is the people, the culture, the environment and the elements,” Justine said. “My dreaming and my country is showing itself to me; the more I give back to the land, the more it looks after me.”

“We use traditional knowledge to protect the natural areas, native flora and fauna. Through projects like the Kombumerri Rangers, an Indigenous rangers’ crew on the Gold Coast, we can have a say in the management of the natural areas and work in and assess the natural and cultural value of areas such as the Burleigh Springbrook corridor,” Justine continued.

Come and hear Justine share her experience working on country, share the history and importance of Guanaba Indigenous Protected area and learn more about the Indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage and sustainable approach to managing and living on the land.

See you there!

(Quotes taken from the speech Justine delivered at the National Parks Forum on 4 June 2022 at Robina Community Centre.)