The Yes23 campaign volunteers of Narooma and surrounding communities will hold two events to promote discussion and information about the Voice to Parliament referendum.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
They are holding a community forum on Sunday, September 24, at which four prominent Aboriginal community members will speak, plus a Yes23 Concert on Sunday, October 1.
The forum will be held in Narooma starting 2.30pm, while the concert will be held at Central Tilba Hall at midday.
READ ALSO:
There are 72 Narooma and surrounding communities Yes23 campaign volunteers from Bodalla, Potato Point, Narooma, Tilba and Bermagui.
There are other groups to the north from Moruya and to the south from Cobargo.
Angela Marshall said two or three people are signing up to the Narooma group every day.
Free community forum
Patricia Ellis OAM from Bergalia, Uncle Bunja Smith from Batemans Bay, Wally Stewart from Narooma and Biripi woman Christine Lee from Bodalla are the four speakers with deep roots in the community.
Each will speak for 10 to 15 minutes about why the referendum is important to them.
That will be followed by a Q&A session then tea and biscuits and a yarn.
The forum is expected to wrap up by 4.30pm.
It is free but registration with eventbrite is required for catering and to ensure there is enough seating at the Uniting Church Hall, 134 Wagonga Street, Narooma.
Apartheid in the 1960s
Ms Marshall joined the Yes23 campaign in June after hearing Mr Stewart speak about his family's experience in the 1960s.
His mother had to carry an exemption form to be able to move freely around Narooma and there was no guarantee shops would serve her.
"It was extraordinary, we had a de facto system of apartheid," Ms Marshall said.
She said when the volunteers knock on doors and speak to people at their stalls a common question is 'why should I vote Yes when Aboriginal people are saying no?'
"I knew that a lot of Aboriginal people in our community are committed to Yes so we thought it would be a good idea to hear from four of them," Ms Marshall said.
Festival of Yes at Tilba
Ms Marshall said the concert will feature performers from Batemans Bay down to Candelo who are volunteering their time and talent from midday until around 7pm on October 1.
There will be blues, soul, jazz, country rock, choral, indi and world music from Chris O'Connor, Soul Stories, Larimar, Ron Callaghan, Melanie Horsnell, Djinama Yilaga, Malumba and Casey Greene.
Entrance is by donation.
Love your regional news? Then sign up for the Voice of Real Australia, news from across the country delivered free to your inbox
