Koori Mail

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Koori Mail
Koori Mail stall at NAIDOC, Redfern Park Redfern, 2005.tif
Koori Mail
Type Biweekly
Owner(s)Bunjum Co-operative; Buyinbin Inc; Kurrachee Co-operative; Bundjalung Tribal Society; Nungera Co-operative
EditorRudi Maxwell
Founded1991
Headquarters Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
ISSN 1038-8516
Website www.koorimail.com

The Koori Mail is an Australian newspaper written and owned by Indigenous Australians since 1991. It is published fortnightly in printed form and electronic copies are available. Owned by five community-based Aboriginal organisations based in Lismore, in northern New South Wales, its profits are spent on community projects and needs. "Koori" is a demonym for the Aboriginal peoples of parts of New South Wales and Victoria.

Contents

History

The term Koori is a demonym for Aboriginal Australians from the approximate region now known as southern New South Wales and Victoria, derived from the Awabakal language. [1]

The Koori Mail was founded in 1991 [2] by Walbunja man Owen Carriage. [3] [4] [5] [6] Carriage had been involved with the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra after the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody. There, he and Pastor Frank Roberts thought of the idea of a newspaper devoted to Aboriginal issues, after being disappointed with the mainstream newspapers' coverage of the event. [7] He was inspired by activists such as Gary Foley and Lyall Munro Jnr. [6]

The fledging venture suffered from both lack of funding and a lack of experienced journalists at first, and was assisted by non-Indigenous freelance journalists such as Liz Tynan. The Lismore newspaper The Northern Star then provided printing and editorial assistance to Carriage, and Janine Wilson, a Northern Star journalist, was appointed the first non-Indigenous editor of Koori Mail. [6]

The headline story in the first issue on 23 May 1991, which comprised 24 pages and had a print run of 10,000, [6] was about a recent report into violent racism in Australia and the high levels of abuse suffered by Aboriginal people in police custody. [3]

In 1992, The Northern Star, while seeing the potential of the paper, could not afford to support it financially while it built its readership, and there was a large debt to be paid off. The local Bundjalung Aboriginal corporation was able to obtain an ATSIC loan of A$226,000, and ownership was assumed by a group of local Aboriginal communities [6] representing the Bundjalung nation: the Bundjalung Tribal Society (based at Lismore), Bunjum Co-operative (Cabbage Tree Island), Buyinbin Co-operative (Casino), Kurrachee Cooperative (Coraki), and Nungera Co-operative Maclean). [7] The Bygal Weahunir Holding Company (BWHC), an amalgamation of the five bodies, acquired an 80 percent holding, while 20 percent was retained by The Northern Star. At first it was only circulated only in northern News South Wales and Queensland, but within a few years it had built up a network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous stringers across the country and was distributed nationally. [6]

Janine Wilson was later replaced by another non-Indigenous journalist, Dona Graham, who was subsequently replaced by Aboriginal journalist Todd Condie as editor in 1998. Condie left to work on Land Rights News in 2002. [6]

On 4 May 2011, on the date of the publication of the 500th issue of Koori Mail, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) launched its digital collection of the newspaper, in partnership with the Department of Industry and Science, CAVAL (a consortium of universities [8] ) and the State Library of New South Wales. [9]

As of May 2021, as the newspaper celebrated its 30th birthday, Rudi Maxwell was the editor of the newspaper, with the staff numbering a total of 12 people. [7]

2022 floods

In March 2022 Lismore was hit by record-breaking flooding, and in the immediate aftermath and for months afterwards, Koori Mail coordinated relief for flood victims. Staff and volunteers coordinated by the paper distributed food (including up to 2,000 free meals per day, served from the adjacent Koori Kitchen), clothes, and other essential items for thousands of victims, as well as supporting them with counselling. All of this came from donations; financial support from the New South Wales Government only came months later, in June. [10]

The Koori Mail team and volunteers received the national NAIDOC Innovation Award, which recognised their "coordination and leadership" after the flood. [10]

Description

Run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through five Aboriginal community organisations based in northern New South Wales, [11] the Koori Mail is based in Lismore. [2] The newspaper is published fortnightly and is available by subscription and in newsagents in every Australian state and territory, [11] as well as in PDF form online via the AIATSIS website (where all past issues are also available). [9]

It is a source of news and information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and events throughout Australia. [2] It covers general news as well as health, education, employment, culture, the arts, and sport, [11] and has correspondents and contributors in every state and territory. [7]

As of 2021 its circulation is around 10,000, but it is estimated that it is read by ten times that number. [3] According to McNair Ingenuity Research, readership is around 100,000. It is sold at newsagents in all mainland states and territories of Australia, and Tasmania. [12]

All profits are distributed to the community through the five owner organisations and spent on uses such as scholarships for Aboriginal students, housing and mental health programmes. [3] [12] The organisation offers entry-level jobs as well as traineeships based in schools, to help young Indigenous writers to gain experience. [7]

The Lismore office established a studio for broadcasting radio and podcasts, from 2021, initially focusing on Bundjalung issues, [7] but the printed copy is still the most important component. [3]

Staff

As of October 2022, Darren Coyne is acting editor and the total staff number seven people. [12]

Bundjalung and Dunghutti woman Naomi Moran has been general manager since 2016, and holds the role as of October 2022. [7] [13] [12]

As of 2016 Russell Kapeen was chair of the board. [14]

Online

Apart from the full set of issues being available on the AIATSIS website, [9] there is also an index. The Australian Indigenous Index, or INFOKOORI, is an index to Koori Mail, covering from May 1991 to July 2016. Hosted by SLNSW also covers biographical information from various other magazines, including Identity ; Our Aim ; and Dawn / New Dawn. [15]

Awards

Notable people

Aboriginal journalist Todd Condie graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Humanities majoring in film, media studies and politics. He started at the Koori Mail as a cadet 1992, then worked as journalist and was appointed editor in 1998, taking over from (non-Indigenous) Dona Graham. In 2002, Condie left the Koori Mail to work on Land Rights News in the Northern Territory. [6]

Kirstie Parker, as of May 2021 (since 2017) the Director of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation in the Department of Premier and Cabinet in South Australia, is a former Koori Mail journalist. [16] [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lismore, New South Wales</span> City in New South Wales, Australia

Lismore is a city located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia and the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area, it is also a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the state. Lismore is 734 km (456 mi) north of Sydney and 200 km (120 mi) south of Brisbane. It is situated on a low floodplain on the banks of the Wilsons River near the latter's junction with Leycester Creek, both tributaries of the Richmond River which enters the Pacific Ocean at Ballina, 30 km (19 mi) to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koori</span> Demonym for some Aboriginal Australians

Koori is a demonym for Aboriginal Australians from a region that approximately corresponds to southern New South Wales and Victoria. The word derives from the Indigenous language Awabakal. For some people and groups, it has been described as a reclaiming of Indigenous language and culture, as opposed to relying on European titles such as "Aboriginal". The term is also used with reference to institutions involving Koori communities and individuals, such as the Koori Court, Koori Radio and Koori Knockout.

Aden Derek Ridgeway is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the Australian Senate for New South Wales from 1999 to 2005, representing the Australian Democrats. During his term he was the only Aboriginal member of the Australian Parliament. He is currently a spokesperson for Recognise, the movement to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples in the Australian Constitution.

The Central Land Council (CLC) is a land council that represents the Aboriginal peoples of the southern half of the Northern Territory of Australia (NT), predominantly with regard to land issues. it is one of four land councils in the Northern Territory, and covers the Central Australia region. The head office is located in Alice Springs.

The Northern Land Council (NLC) is a land council representing the Aboriginal peoples of the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia, with its head office in Darwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies</span> Australian research institute for Indigenous studies

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is a collecting, publishing, and research institute and is considered to be Australia's premier resource for information about the cultures and societies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Gidabal, also known as Kitabal and Githabul, are an indigenous Australian tribe of southern Queensland, who inhabited an area in south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales, now within the Southern Downs, Tenterfield and Kyogle Local Government regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundjalung people</span> Aboriginal Australian people of New South

The Bundjalung people, also spelled Bunjalung, Badjalang and Bandjalang, are Aboriginal Australians who are the original custodians of a region from around Grafton in northern coastal New South Wales to Beaudesert in south-east Queensland. The region is located approximately 550 kilometres (340 mi) northeast of Sydney and 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Brisbane that now includes the Bundjalung National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilsons River (New South Wales)</span> River in New South Wales, Australia

Wilsons River, a perennial river and part of the Richmond River catchment, is situated in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, Australia.

John Trevor Patten, known professionally as Johnny Jarrett, is an Australian Aboriginal elder and community leader, former professional rugby league footballer and professional boxer.

Wayne Quilliam is an Aboriginal Australian photographic artist, curator, and cultural adviser based in Melbourne. He specializes in portraits and landscapes.

Cobaki Lakes is a suburb of Tweed Heads, located in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales, along the Queensland and New South Wales border.

Albert Digby Moran (1948–2020) was an Australian Aboriginal artist. His work derived inspiration from his Bundjalung ancestors in the north of New South Wales, Australia, where he remains one of the Northern Rivers' most recognised artists.

Kirstie Parker is a Yuwallarai journalist, policy administrator and Aboriginal Australian activist. From 2013 to 2015 she served as the co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and during her tenure pressed for policies that allowed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to gain the ability for self-determination.

Australian Indigenous Ministries, formerly Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia, is an interdenominational Christian organisation that provides ministries to Aboriginal Australians. Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia was established in 1905, and ran many Aboriginal missions across Australia, including the Retta Dixon Home in Darwin, Northern Territory, St Clair Mission in Singleton, New South Wales.

Miriam Corowa is an Australian journalist, presenter, producer, and director.

Dawn was an Australian magazine created by the New South Wales Aborigines Welfare Board and aimed at Aboriginal Australians. It ran monthly from January 1952 until December 1968. Two issues were published in 1969, before the disbanding of the Aboriginal Welfare Board led to the publication ceasing.

Nikita Ridgeway is a Bundjalung/Biripi graphic designer from Australia, who was awarded the a BBC 100 Women Award in 2015 in recognition of her entrepreneurial work and advocacy for Aboriginal graphic design.

The Aboriginal Publications Foundation (APF) was a national Australian Aboriginal organisation that existed from 1970 to 1982, based first in Sydney, New South Wales, and later in Perth, Western Australia. It existed to promote and fund creative arts projects by Aboriginal people, especially written works. It published a national quarterly magazine called Identity (1971–1982), which carried articles by many prominent Aboriginal rights activists.

References

  1. Harding, Janina (1993). "Koori". Children Australia. 18 (1): 19. doi:10.1017/s103507720000328x. ISSN   1035-0772. S2CID   242265716.
  2. 1 2 3 Maxwell, Rudi (12 May 2011). "Our own Koori Mail 20 years young". Northern Rivers Echo . Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wright, George (22 May 2021). "Koori Mail: Thirty years of reporting on Aboriginal Australia". BBC News. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. "Milestone for the Koori Mail". The Northern Star . Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  5. Koori mail : celebrating successful editions, 1995, retrieved 27 June 2017
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Burrows, Elizabeth Anne (2010). Writing to be heard: the Indigenous print media's role in establishing and developing an Indigenous public sphere (PhD). Griffith University. p. 183,184. doi:10.25904/1912/3292 . Retrieved 1 October 2022. PDF
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Moran, Alexis (23 May 2021). "National Indigenous-owned-and-run newspaper the Koori Mail celebrates 30th birthday". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  8. "About us". CAVAL. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "Koori Mail". AIATSIS . Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 White, Leah (4 August 2022). "Success of Koori Mail flood response in Lismore prompts calls for First Nations first responders". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 "UniSA Library - Koori Mail". University of South Australia. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "» About Koori Mail". Koori Mail. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  13. "Local Bundjalung woman appointed Koori Mail boss – Echonetdaily". 19 May 2016.
  14. "National Indigenous newspaper, the Koori Mail, marks 25 years in print". ABC News. 25 May 2016.
  15. "INFOKOORI". SLNSW . Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  16. "Bio". Kirstie Parker. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  17. "Career". Kirstie Parker. 27 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.