By JESSE GRAHAM
A ONE-off performance of Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country, set on the former station’s land in Healesville, brought tears to the eyes of audience members – and the event’s organisers.
On Sunday, 21 February, almost 600 people gathered on the land of the former Aboriginal Station for the performance of Cordanerrk, organised by sisters Jacqui Wandin and Brooke Collins.
The play uses text verbatim from an 1881 parliamentary inquiry into Coranderrk, where its residents convinced the inquiry that they could manage the land without oversight.
The land was managed, successfully, from 1863 to 1924, when laws forcing so-called “half-castes” to leave the land forced its closure.
Ms Collins told the Mail that the performance, which featured Jack Charles playing the role of Wurundjeri elder William Barak, was “amazing”.
“What was most significant was we had just shy of 600 people, and for most of the performance, you could have heard a pin drop,” she said.
Hosting the performance on Coranderrk land came about after Ms Collins and Ms Wandin saw the production in the city, and began the process of organising a show in Healesville.
Ms Collins said the result was “extra touches” from the performers, such as pointing out areas on the land and the town of Healesville during their speeches.
“It was lovely,” she said.
“I have to admit, I got up on stage afterwards, and I planned to be all very professional, but I just bawled my eyes out, and I think there were a few others’ tears as well.”
She said she had received feedback on social media from attendees, some of whom said they hadn’t stopped thinking about the production for days afterwards.
Ms Collins, Ms Wandin, the cast members and co-writer Giordano Nanni also held a q-and-a on stage, fielding audience questions and comments.
Reflecting on William Barak’s famous quote, “We will show the country that it will work”, which is used in the title of the performance, Ms Collins said the sentiment was still important today.
“It’s just that it’s bizarre that that comment is still so relevant today,” she said.
“He was obviously so far ahead of his time that it was crazy – but maybe it also highlights that a whole lot of things haven’t changed.
“That comment … that’s important to us, and guides us with what we do on the property.”
She said that the Wandoon Estate Aboriginal Corporation was working to landscape and improve some of the original Coranderrk grounds under a project called Dill ba din Biik, meaning “protect ground”.
The group received a $108,000 National Landcare Program grant in November last year from the Federal Government and Casey MP, Tony Smith.
“We need to give Coranderrk some TLC – she’s very degraded,” Ms Collins said.
“So we’re going to start with fencing and revegetation and see where it takes us.”
As for a follow-up performance of Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country, Ms Collins said the production was organised to be a one-time-only event – but left the possibility open for another.
“It was always intended to be a one-off, but, I suppose, never say never,” she said.
