Uncle Ivan Wellington
Welcome to Country
I’m Uncle Ivan. I’m from Minto. I get sentimental watching the fathers of the old place. It makes me sad to lose the people. I was talking to a person I have known since moving here 20 years ago. My time’s in April. I’m ready to move in April. I’m a coastal person. I’ve been up here 25 to 30 years with you lovely people and I’ve enjoyed my life up here and also my wife and my children. My kids went to school with a lot of the children of you older ones here. Also my grandchildren went to school with you. That’s how long I’ve been in this area.
There was a love for this area ever since I moved here. I linked up with a lot of people — Uncle Murray Thomas and his wife, Aunty Mollie; all the teachers and principals at the high school and primary school in Minto. I got to know him through my work. I started work with the Department of Juvenile Justice as an Aboriginal mentor. I’ve worked in the institutions of Reiby, Cobham, Keelong, Mount Penang and all them places. My love is Minto. I’m going to miss you people when I go home to where I come from.
Another thing about you people, and it shows great respect in your lives and in your culture, you show respect for the custodians, the people who were here and lived in this land before time all around this area. Those people were the Dharawal People. I’m not very good with their language but I’m going to welcome you in their language.
Bereewagal, – naa niya. – Yura ngura dyi ngurang gurugal.
People who come from afar, I see all of you. Aboriginal people camped here, at this place, long ago.
Ngoon dyalgala niya, ngoon bamaradbanga ni.
We embrace all of you, we open the door to all of you.
Ngoon – mari ngurang – niya mudang yura ngurra.
We lend this place to all of you to live while we sleep.
Dyi nga ni nura.
Here, I see my country.
Thank you all. I love you all.