Barengi Gadjin Land Council’s Wotjobaluk Nations’ Festival at Dimboola last year has won a national award.
The festival, featuring ‘Our Place Our Story’, took out the 2026 AIATSIS Summit Award for Excellence in Cultural Revitalisation, Preservation and Resurgence.
Earning one of four awards presented for excellence, leadership and innovation across Indigenous communities and organisations, the festival marked the 20th anniversary of recognition of Native Title of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples.
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BGLC chief executive Chris Santagiuliana said about 900 people were at Friday’s awards ceremony at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, the final event of the AIATSIS five-day 3000-delegate conference.
“It was a surprise we were nominated, we were honoured to be made a finalist, and we’re still shocked, it hasn’t sunk in that we won it,” he said.
“Even on the night when we were sitting there and they announced our name – Barenji Gadjin Land Council and Wotjobaluk Nations Festival featuring ‘Our Place Our Story’, I remember turning to the team and saying, ‘was that us? Did they just call us out?’.”
Mr Santagiuliana said of BGLC’s delegation – Recognised Aboriginal Party manager Michael Douglas, general operations manager Colin Gorton, Aboriginal heritage officer Kylie Boundy, and grants, agreements and partnerships manager Dinesha Fernando – nobody wanted to get up.
“Everybody looked at me and said, ‘off you go’,” he said.
“So, I got Colin Gorton up, and he and I accepted the award on behalf of Barenji Gadjin Land Council.”
Mr Santagiuliana said while receiving congratulatory messages on the night, he realised there were few similar cultural projects coming out of Victoria.
“It’s really humbling to be able to show the work that is going on in Victoria, in particular in the Wimmera, is the equal of anything that’s going on anywhere in the country,” he said.
Mr Santagiuliana thanked community, ‘because without them, there wouldn’t have been a festival – this project would never have occurred’, as well as BGLC staff, Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative, Parks Victoria and the region’s government authorities.
He also thanked the ‘Our Place Our Story’ creative team; produced by BGLC, and a collaboration between Pink Lake Creative, The Dreaming Project, The Little Projector Company, BGLC’s Dalki Murrup Ceremonial Performance Group and the Wotjobaluk Nations’ community, and supported by Federal Government funding through Festivals Australia.
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