Aboriginal Experience

Community advocate, respected Elder, teacher, carer, living educational library (and telephone directory) and most of all collaborator!

Barbara Simms (affectionately and respectfully known as Aunty Barb), was born in Sydney and grew up at number 24 The Reserve, La Perouse.

A mother of 5 children, a foster carer for 15 children, a grandmother to 19 grandchildren and great grandmother to 6.  You’d think that would be enough to keep anyone busy, but life was never too full or busy to focus on other matters close to the community’s heart.  Aunty Barb has invested immeasurable unpaid hours to this.

Throughout the years Aunty Barb has used her wealth of knowledge of culture to provide talks and education on the local area; beaches, nature trails and bush tucker.

She provides rich cultural mentoring to too many people and organisations to name individually and has also in the past provided cultural awareness training in GP practices in the Eastern Suburbs and Sutherlandshire.

In 2012 Aunty Barb received the Pauline McLeod Award from the Eastern Region Local Government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Forum.  The award recognises “silent achievers” who have worked diligently in promoting Reconciliation through their selfless acts with a desire to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Not long after this Aunty Barb was also acknowledged with an award from NSW police for Dedicated Services to the Police by providing guidance on cultural awareness.  Local MP Matt Thistlethwaite has also acknowledged Barbara Simms with a community services award.

At 73 years young, Aunty Barb’s most recent employed role has been as the Guriwal Aboriginal Corporation as the Respite and Transport Coordinator for some 20 years. Just retired in December 2020 Aunty Barb is now lending her time to providing education and cultural mentoring.

I am Dean Kelly and identify as a South Coast NSW Saltwater Yuin, Walbunja, Dhoorga 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 have also served for two terms (4 years) as a Board Member on the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council. I currently remain a member of the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council.

As a Cultural Practitioner my true passion and cultural obligation is dedicated to the protection and preservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage. My cultural knowledge has been passed down through my family for countless generations, and I’m told by my Elders to give it away to keep it!

Les McLeod is a Yuin, Dharawal and Ngarigo custodian working with Taronga Zoo, Discovery Ranger Kuringai NP, Kadoo Tours and Tribal Warrior.

I acknowledge my Boorooberongal and Kameygal ancestors from Sydney and my birth country Yuin. I am from the sunrise saltwater people of the eastern sea-boarder. My people have maintained a resilient, spiritual, cultural relationship to country – the land, waters and sky.

I graduated from NAISDA in the early 1990s and have continued my passion of dancing over the years with Jannawi, Buuja Buuja Butterfly, Warada Dance groups and Burrundi Theatre performing at prominent events;

World Youth Soccer Tournament, Woggan-Ma-Gule Morning Ceremonies, World Masters Games, South Sydney NRL Indigenous Rounds, NSW Waratahs Rugby Union Indigenous Round, Yabun Music Festivals, various local opening ceremonies and gatherings.

As a cultural facilitator I like educating all people about Aboriginal history and culture, as it’s important to me. I’m also passionate about supporting young Aboriginal youth to maintain a strong sense of cultural identity and values through my work as an educator.

I am honoured to share the knowledge of the whale Dreaming that was passed onto me through my Elder and Cultural Teacher the Late Uncle Max Harrison.