Twice each year, around 40,000 humpback whales follow the Eurobodalla's coast, heading north in winter to breed and calve in warmer waters before returning south each spring to the krill-rich feeding grounds of Antarctica. The 10,000-kilometre journey is one of nature's great migrations and a new short film shows there's another journey unfolding – this one carried in story, memory and connection to Country.
The film Muriyira – meaning 'whales' in the local dhurga language – explores the enduring relationship between these sea giants and the Yuin people, and features Walbunja custodians and Djaadjawan Dancers Vivienne, Sharon and Ashweeni Mason, Megan Patterton, and Arwyn and Arianna Landini.
The film is short – just ten minutes – but the relationships that made it possible took years to mature. Eurobodalla Mayor Mathew Hatcher says Muriyira invites people to experience Eurobodalla through a different lens.
"Once you watch, you can't help but see our coastline in a new way. It's a privilege to hear how traditional owners understand our place and their connections to the living things around us. It shows our beaches, headlands and waters have stories for us to discover too," the Mayor says.
"Not only us blackfellas, but all of us human beings have a connection to everything around us" – Sharon Mason.
Muriyira was created through a partnership between the Mason family, the Djaadjawan Dancers, Eurobodalla Council tourism staff, Blackfisch, and We Are Explorers. Mayor Hatcher says the result is more than a tourism campaign.
"This isn't about simply commissioning a campaign. Rather, it's about Council staff building relationships that enable this story to be told. Trust made this possible," he says.
"This project built on Council's earlier Yuin Stories series. It reflects our commitment to working alongside Aboriginal communities through genuine consultation. Conversations began far in advance of cameras rolling, with the Mason family involved through the entire creative process – from shaping the concept, to viewing and approving the finished film before release."
Mayor Hatcher says Council's commitment to listening to and working with Aboriginal people and communities is evolving and maturing.
"While every project is different, listening and adapting is vital in this work. We're improving our processes and simplifying the way we engage, recognising authentic collaboration takes time. The relationships behind Muriyira were built over years through projects large and small, each helping strengthen trust and understanding between Council staff and local Aboriginal families.
"For this one, our tourism team worked with Blackfisch, an Indigenous-owned production company chosen for its cultural knowledge and experience, to ensure the story was developed authentically and respectfully. And we see plenty of opportunity beyond the film itself by connecting visitors with the developing Aboriginal-led tourism in our region.
"There's a hunger – and a market – for that. A national launch and campaign with We Are Explorers introduced Muriyira to audiences across Australia, with teaser content viewed almost 100,000 times within the first couple of weeks."
"We are not doing the ceremonies that we used to do back in the day to welcome them [whales] through Country. When you think about them coming back from north to home, they're bringing new life, they're bringing babies. I think they want that and we need to start doing that a lot more to keep that connection as saltwater people" – Ashweeni Mason.
The whales return year on year. They always have, and now with the largest numbers in living memory. What's different is the willingness to listen to the stories that travel with them. Or as Mayor Hatcher says, "For visitors, Muriyira offers another reason to look out to sea. For locals, it's a new way to look at home".
