Photos from the Real AUSTRALIA

The Laura Festival: Aboriginal dancing in North Queensland

Aboriginal culture is still strong in Northern Queensland and a Dance and Cultural Festival, held every two years 15 km from the outback town of Laura, 300 kilometres north of Cairns in the south of Cape York Peninsula, is a wonderful celebration of this. The communities participating come mainly from the Cape York region, from Cairns to the Torres Strait. Palm Island, near Townsville and Mornington Island, in the south of the Gulf of Carpentaria and even groups from the Northern Territory are also represented.

The Laura Dance and Cultural Festival is primarily a community event but has also become a focus for reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. Indeed, the Festival's theme in 2001 was "Reconciliation" and aimed to create a greater awareness of the need for all people of this region to work together to make a better future. The future lies with our children and it is therefore wonderful to see so many children perform so enthusiastically and taking charge of their heritage.

These photos were taken at the festival of 2001. Over 5000 visitors from Queensland, Interstate and Overseas attended the 2001 Laura Festival. It has become a significant event on the Queensland Events Calendar, and is now the largest Indigenous Cultural Festival in Queensland. The fifthteenth Laura Aboriginal Dance and Cultural Festival was held from the 20th to the 22nd of June 2003 at the Ang-gnarra Festival Ground near Laura.

For more information visit the official Laura Festival Website.

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