On 15th December 2025, Oyster Tribe Aboriginal Corporation, in partnership with Oyster Care Foundation, held a special evening dedicated to the beauty of language and culture. From 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, we gathered to learn, connect, and celebrate heritage in a program that proved learning can be just as much fun as it is educational.
Learning with Anthony Riley
We were privileged to have Anthony Riley as our facilitator. A qualified language teacher with experience at institutions like TAFE, Anthony brought a wealth of knowledge and passion to the room. We had a fantastic turnout of about 20 youth, along with several adults who joined in to reconnect with their roots.
Anthony made the evening truly interactive through Wiradjuri Bingo! This wasn’t your average classroom setting—it was a space where laughter led the way. To encourage the group, Anthony gave away treats for correct Wiradjuri pronunciations, which definitely motivated everyone to give the words and phrases their very best shot!
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A Transformation in Bloom
The most touching part of the evening was seeing the social impact of the program. We noticed one young girl who was so shy at the beginning that she couldn’t even bring herself to introduce herself to the group.
However, by the end of the session, she had completely transformed—”budding into an opened-up flower.” Seeing her laughing and chatting with new friends she had just made was a powerful reminder of how these cultural programs build confidence and community.
Dinner and Reflection
No gathering is complete without a meal! During our break, everyone enjoyed a hearty dinner of pizza, water, and poppers. With high spirits, we moved into our final feedback session where the impact of the night became clear.
Voices from the Community
The responses were heartwarming:
- One participant shared: “This is the first time I’ve attended a languages program, and it was so interesting to learn my own language.”
- One of the youths noted: “I would have just been out at the shops at this hour, but coming here, I actually learnt something and got a hearty meal too.”
Community Support
To ensure everyone reached their front door safely, the OTAC courtesy bus provided drop-offs for the participants after the program concluded.
A very special thank you goes to Ebony and Max for generously volunteering their time to help make this program a success. We are so proud to see what we can achieve when we work together to facilitate these vital connections to culture!
If you would like to get involved, support our programs, or learn more about future cultural initiatives, we would love to hear from you. Contact us to connect, participate, and be part of strengthening culture and community together.
