One Day At A Time - Gloria Hill
Recording and story edit by Jemma King. Image: Gloria Hill, The Pride and Joy of My Life, acrylic on board, 2016.

In 2016, Community Arts Network invited Aboriginal community members with a connection to Busselton to record their stories for the Bush Babies project series. The project also ran painting workshops with final pieces shown in the Keyen Koondarm (One Dream) exhibition.

One Day At A Time - Gloria Hill

Kwobidak Balladong Boodja | Noongar Lullabies from Northam
Kwobidak Balladong Boodja is a compilation of original lullabies that capture the koort, moort and kalyakool (heart, family and legacy) of Noongar families in Northam, in the Avon Valley of Western Australia.

Under the gentle guidance of award-winning artists Phil Bartlett and Cyndy Moody, Noongar community members came together to share Noongar language ﻿and learn songwriting techniques.

Once everyone had crafted their songs, participants recorded their lullabies in a pop-up studio at Northam Primary School, with additional musical production by the Lullabies team - Cyndy, Phil and Sean Lillico.

Lullabies is produced by Community Arts Network in collaboration with Noongar families and is supported through the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts program.

Kwobidak Balladong Boodja

Koondarm Maawit Koorlang | Dream Baby Child - Wonka

Your Way was created during Community Arts Network's Now Sounds project. The song was created by over 80 young people from First Nations and multicultural communities in the City of Stirling, the City of Canning and the remote town of Kununurra, alongside the artistic team, Optamus (Scott Griffiths), Flewnt (Josh Eggington), Mubanga Culture (Mubanga), Anesu and Jayla Davey.

Your Way

How to say 'smile' in different languages. This playlist is part of the 'Beautiful Smiles' project.

Thai Pronunciation of 'smile' – Apinya Surachon

Malay Pronunciation of 'smile' – Dahlinah Ahmad–Daud

In 2024, Community Arts Network collaborated with eight families on behalf of Smiling Starts to create the Beautiful Smiles lullaby. The project was facilitated by renowned First Nations creatives, Cyndy Moody, Kobi Arthur Morrison and Tace Stevens, and the lullaby was translated into multiple languages by the participating families.

Featuring nine languages, the final lullaby is sung by the families who feature in this book and enables babies to learn and sign along as they grow. We hope you sing this lullaby with your family, celebrating all your Beautiful Smiles.

Beautiful Smiles featuring Kobi Arthur Morrison, Cyndy Moody, Smiling Starts Choir

This moorditj album is a compilation of original lullabies written in Noongar language by members of the Midland-based Moorditj Maaman men’s group with gentle guidance from musicians and language facilitators Kobi Arthur Morrison and Cyndy Moody.

Yeyi Yokai | Now Celebrate

Nganyang Kwarat | My Daughter

Koodjal Koort Yoowarl Danjoo | Two Hearts Coming Together

Nookert Maawit | Sleep Baby

Djoorabiny | Happy

Koondarm Djinda | Dream Star

Yoowart Winarak | Not the Same

Maawit Kedala | Baby Day

Booraka Yagan | Brave Yagan

Keyn Waangkan | First Words

Walk Bidi Katitijiny (the pathway of knowledge) with Narelle Ogilvie as she reflects on balancing Noongar and Western worlds, listening deeply to Elders, and the power of patience and respect in cultural learning. Discover how workshops at the Bidi Kaatajiny Centre brought together generations – young, old and even the animals – for truth-telling, sharing stories, laughter and belonging. Through placenames like Margamangup (place where they catch fish by hand from a fish trap), Narelle uncovers indigenous traditions and reconnects to family, Country and culture. She closes by sharing a heartfelt poem about her own link as a grandmother, reminding us that cultural strength lives on through connection, love and storytelling by the riverbanks.

Connecting to Culture

Step on Country with Geri Hayden and discover how the plants of Melville’s banksia woodlands, jarrah forests and wild bush teach us, feed us and connect us to Noongar knowledge. Learn what makes Noongars the “sweet water people”, how every plant – banksia, jarrah, peppermint, kangaroo paw, zamia, balga – was woven into culture, daily life and survival. Hear how burning, bush care and seasonal movement fostered a deep relationship between people, plants and animals. Geri invites you to think about giving back to Country – just as the old people did – and to see new generations stepping up as caretakers, ensuring boodja flourishes for all.

What Plants Teach Us

Journey back to kura kura – when everything began. Trevor Walley invites you to discover the Nyitting (Dreamtime), where all land, water, sky and living beings are woven together by ancient stories. Meet the Waugal (Rainbow Serpent), the great spirit who carved the rivers and shaped the Country, and learn how every place and name carries wisdom from the Noongar past. Walk along the Derbarl Yaragan and let language, land and story reveal the lessons and purpose still alive in every step. Listen closely – our footsteps, culture and creation stories are forever imprinted on this land.

Creation

Discover the exciting revival of the Noongar language as the younger generation breathe new life into an ancient and endangered tongue. Explore the complexities and importance of place naming and dual naming – how families come together with respect and protocol to interpret traditional names, often lost or altered over time. Hear how Elders’ knowledge guides this process, using stories and language to reconnect with Country. Through examples like Niergarup (place of salmon), learn how names reflect the richness of Noongar heritage. This episode highlights why honouring language and culture with integrity is vital for both Aboriginal and non-Indigenous communities, fostering awareness, respect, reconciliation and a deeper connection to the land.

Waangkaniny Place Names

Walk alongside John Hart as he reveals how Noongar people map Country; not with coordinates and lines, but with living landmarks – rocks, rivers, trees, and hills – as guides. From the special vantage point of Yagan Mia (Wireless Hill), learn the stories behind placenames and the powerful connection to ancestors like Yagan and Fanny Balbuk, who navigated by knowledge, not fences. John reflects on bush skills learned from Elders, and how sun, stars and memory were the true guides on Country. Discover why Noongar maps are living, colourful and rooted in reciprocity; built from stories, responsibilities and connection, inviting us to see the land through fresh eyes.

Mapping Country

Kaya Wanjoo! (Hello and welcome!) Are you ready to discover hidden stories embedded in Whadjuk Noongar Boodja, the traditional land of the Noongar people of the southwest of Western Australia? Then come walk with us through the Place Names Melville podcast.

Each episode invites you to listen deeply as Noongar Elders and community members share the rich spirit, memory and meaning woven into the placenames of the City of Melville, located in Western Australia’s capital city Perth. From ancient trails to familiar streets, you’ll hear voices that bring Country to life, reconnecting us all to culture and history in ways both heartfelt and powerful.

Created by Luisa Mitchell, the Place Names Melville podcast is more than an exploration of names; it’s an invitation to be part of a journey of healing, recognition and shared respect.

This podcast was recorded during Place Names Melville, a two-year Noongar-led community arts project that revived the traditional names and cultural significance of prominent locations in the City of Melville, a local government area in Perth.

Curious to know more? Visit placenamesmelville.com.au for an opportunity to engage with these stories further with an interactive map of the City of Melville. 

If these voices and stories move you, help them travel further – share this podcast with your friends, family and community.

Place Names Melville is produced by Community Arts Network in partnership with the City of Melville, Moodjar and the Noongar community, with support from Lotterywest.

Presenters: Michelle White, Trevor Walley, Geri Hayden, Ben Ugle, Joseph Collard, Narelle Ogilvie, John Hart
Creator: Luisa Mitchell
Producer: Nduta Gathoga
Editor: Luisa Mitchell
Recorded at Magic Studios Perth
Theme music: Phil Walleystack

Introduction

Travel along ancient songlines with Ben Ugle as he brings to life the rich tradition of Noongar gatherings, ceremonies and meeting places across Melville. Discover how sacred sites like Marrandungup (Alfred Cove) and Dyoondalup (Point Walter) served as hubs for clans to come together, trade, share lore and celebrate with dance and song. Hear the stories behind placenames rooted in land and culture – like Willagee, named for the prized red ochre (wilgee) used in ceremony – reminding us that these places are still sacred today. This episode reveals how knowledge, connection and belonging are passed on when Noongar people gather, and why keeping these places – and their stories – alive matters for everyone.

Gathering and Ceremony

Learn to sing in Noongar with Moorditj Kulungar, a song composed for pre-school-aged children and their families, friends, carers and teachers. Your voice will join those of Noongar musicians Kobi Arthur Morrison and Cyndy Moody with the Moorditj Kulungar Playgroup.

You can sing along with the Moorditj Kulungar book, in which animals native to Whadjuk Noongar boodja guide you through the song. The Moorditj Kulungar book is available online – scroll down to access.

Moorditj Kulungar was written and recorded during Lullabies Kwinana, a project which saw Noongar musicians Cyndy Moody and Kobi Arthur Morrison conduct workshops for children and their families at the City of Kwinana’s Moorditj Kulungar Playgroup. Together they wrote and recorded the song in Noongar.

Lullabies Kwinana is presented by CAN in partnership with Moorditj Kulungar Playgroup, with support from the Federal Government through the Indigenous Languages and Arts program.

Moorditj Kulungar (Instrumental)

Moorditj Kulungar

This is Sima Khan-White recalling her memories as a Stolen Generation child. As her voice echoes in the empty halls of Wandering Mission, you can hear the rain pelting the tin roof and Sima White shares her story – a story that is compelling, sad, and yet wonderfully hopeful. We urge you to listen to these yarns. They are full of wisdom, sincerity and an important reminder that Our spirits’ stories are still there.

Check out http://www.canwa.com.au/offering/gnaala-karla-booja/ for more

Sima's Story

Djarliny is a song written by Aboriginal teenagers from the small rural town of Narrogin in Western Australia. It is about listening to Noongar Elders when they are telling you about their land and culture.
Djarliny means ‘listen’ in Noongar, the traditional language of South Western Australia. It is a language that is classed as endangered as there are less than 350 fluent speakers alive. 
This music project delivered by Community Arts Network aimed to inspire young people to learn and embrace their language  and traditional culture, whilst living a contemporary lifestyle.
The song was produced with the assistance of hip hop producer Scott 'Optamus' Griffiths and Noongar songwriter Gina Williams.
Djarliny!

Djarliny (Listen) By Burdiya Mob

is a compilation of beautiful, heartfelt songs from families in Bunbury, in the South West of Western Australia. In the third edition of Lullabies, 19 songs were written and performed on site at Roelands Village in June 2018 and further developed in the following weeks with additional musical production. Written and performed in Noongar by each participant, the lullabies are a celebration of family and community life, and a legacy for future generations.

Kwobidak Maawit: Noongar Lullabies from Bunbury

Nganyang Nyit Maawit: My Little Baby - Tia Jones

Kaya Maaman: Hello Daddy - Mika & Phyllis Bennell

Kedalak was written by the Ngaalang Moort Singers (Noongar language group) during the online language sessions. This was the first song everyone wrote before writing their own lullaby. 
Thank you to participants who recorded their vocals from home, you sound moorditj!

Ngaalang Moort: Noongar Lullabies From Home

Kedalak / Night Time - Choir

I am a Whadjuk Ballardong / Badimia Yamatji woman living and working on Whadjuk country. 
This song, Nganyang Dambart (Star Song), has been inspired by all the groups of three in my life. I have three moorditj grandkids, three awesome kids, three amazing siblings and my grandmother was one of three. I seem to be surrounded by threes. 
This song is dedicated to my first born grandson Judj, who is now our own djinda in the sky. For as long as this song is sung my grandson is remembered.

Nganyang Dambart / My Three - Cherie Slater

Kaya nganyang kwerl Ilija Jacobs, Ngaangk Maggie Jacobs. Born in Subiaco. 43 years old. 
My heritage is Noongar/Croatian. I have strong ties to Ballardong Country, South West Boojarah, Wagyl Kaip and Southern Noongar Country and Yued Country. 
I am a very proud Noongar Maaman and am very privileged to be a part of the 2020 CAN Lullabies zoom online training. I live in Darwin on Larrakia Country and to be able to participate in learning in my own language brings a strong sense of Identity and pride to be Noongar.
There is no distance too far or wide for Noongar people to connect with their
culture and especially language.
Thank you CAN.

Kabarli / Nana - Illija Jacobs

My song is deep, it's emotional. It's very personal and it's my language from my heart. I grew up knowing my language. I'm very passionate about speaking my language. My tribe is Whadjuk Ballardong and I grew up speaking Noongar in my family. It was a second language in our home, and I remember when I was a little girl, it was a privilege to have seen and heard my great grandmother my grandmother and my mother actually converse in Noongar. I come from a background of very strong women, and I'm pleased to share my song with you in Ballardong dialect.

I also want to share a bit of a background story of why I wrote Ngany Koorlangka. I gave my child away to my eldest sister who couldn't have children. I adopted this tradition from the Torres Strait Islander people. My children are Torres Strait Islander and I lived on Mer Island for three years and saw how culturally mothers gave up their children so that other women can experience motherhood (there are also other reasons why they did this aswell). But I thought to myself wow what a beautiful thing that someone could do for another. So me being who I am, and the love I have for my family, I thought it would be a beautiful act of kindness to give my son Jeremiah to my sister. My son filled that void in her heart and I saw the joy in her eyes as he called her mum. 

The very essence of my song is about mothers. Mothers who can relate, mothers who are honorable, mothers who have had given up their children for what ever reason, it crosses boundaries to the stolen generation, things that has happen even in our world today regardless of colour, and most of all the power that us as mothers can generate and empower another woman with a blessing that only God can give. Thank you, this is my song Ngany Koorlangka and I hope you like it.

Ngany Koorlangka / My Kid - Cyndy Moody

Community Arts Network (CAN) is a not for profit organisation driven by the belief that art transforms communities. We bring artists, creatives and diverse communities together to share stories, learn from each other and make inspiring art. Through this, we’ve seen lives changed and communities strengthened.

CAN (Community Arts Network)

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