Researchers win top MAGNA Award

Dr Malcolm Allbrook and Dr Mary-Anne Jebb, researchers with the Australian Centre for Indigenous History,  have been awarded the National Winners of the prestigious 2012 Museums and Galleries National Awards (MAGNA) for their exhibition, Burlganyja Wanggaya: Old People Talking - Listen, Learn and Respect.

Developed over four years, their interactive exhibition is permanently located in the Gascoyne region of WA, and shares the stories of the Gacoynes Aboriginal people in their own words using a variety of different mediums including images, sound and film. The exhibition also includes a replica of a 32,000 year-old shell necklace, artefacts, and an interactive light table and a sky dome experience to tell the story of the Janguna, the emu who inhabits the night sky and provides guidance to today’s people on when they can take the different foods of the land.

Established in 2011, the MAGNA awards celebrate and recognise excellence and innovation in Australia’s collecting sector. The 2012 awards were presented at the Museums Australia National Conference in Adelaide, South Australia, on Tuesday 25 September 2012.

Burlganyja Wanggaya: Old People Talking - Listen, Learn and Respect.