This is an interview I was very privileged to conduct and record with Les Bursill (OAM) (1945 – 2019) and Dean Kelly on 31 May 2013. Les and Dean spoke to me on the western bank of the Hacking River below Audley weir, Royal National Park. The interview was arranged to be about nuwi ("noo-wi") or nowi (“now-i") (also "nar-wi") but thanks to the generosity and passion of both men, they discussed a lot more than that. I intended the interview to be the first episode of a podcast series about wooden boats of Australia; the podcast however didn’t eventuate. This was the second time I’d conducted an interview and didn’t have any training; please excuse the roughness of some of my questions.
Sadly Les passed away on 16 February 2019. His funeral service provided me with the insight that the huge generosity of time and knowledge he (and Dean) showed me back in 2013 was experienced by many other people who were also not known to him. It was also a strong reminder that I needed to get the fantastic content of this interview online.
Les and Dean – thank you immensely for the time and knowledge you shared with me in that special place, back in 2013.
Editing: Pre-interview comments were cut; Speech volume was levelled 33% and loudness was matched to -16LUFS.
If you download & use this please credit both Les Bursill and Dean Kelly. Thanks.
Photo: Dean Kelly with a model nowi / nuwi he made. He showed me this after our interview in May 2013.
About Les Bursill:
Les is of the Dharawal Language group.
He is associated by birth with the NoronGeraGal of the Woronora (River) Valley, NSW. Les is a historian, archaeologist, anthropologist, and publisher. He was awarded the OAM in January 2010 for Heritage and Arts. Les refers people seeking more information to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Bursill
About Dean Kelly:
I am Dean Kelly and identify as a South Coast NSW Saltwater Yuin, Walbunja, Dhurga, Gurandgi Cultural man through my father, and Western NSW Freshwater Stone Country Cultural Wailwan, Nypampai Man through my mother. I was born in Sydney NSW on Gadigal Land in 1967.
I am member of the Botany Bay Aboriginal Community and am also accepted as belonging to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community. I am a Cultural Practitioner who enjoys sharing my knowledge of Aboriginal culture & heritage, which has been passed down through my family for countless generations.
I work as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer for NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. My role is to create understanding between Aboriginal people, non-Aboriginal people and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and to also facilitate opportunities for Aboriginal people to reconnect with country, culture and to get involved in Park Management Activities.
My role also provides community with: Education Programs, Cultural Awareness, Access to Country and cultural experiences such as Cultural Leadership Camps and modified Cultural Camps.
“Culture is life without it I have nothing”
