Griffith Base Hospital redevelopment cultural program

[Music] 
Dr Jillian Comber, Archaeologist
We're at Griffith Hospital at the moment undertaking archaeological
investigations. We have found over 200 artefacts. There are two different techniques that have been used to make these artefacts, fairly standard way that Aboriginal people used to make stone tools was by flaking technology. They'd have a stone, a large stone that they'd want to work into a tool and a hammerstone. They'd hit around the edge of it and flake pieces off, but here there weren't stones large enough available to undertake that type of flaking, so they use what's called a
bipolar technique. They put the stone, very small, very small pieces of stone onto another stone, an anvil and hit it with the hammerstone so there was hit on both ends like it was a bipolar artifact. 
Desma Newman, Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council
We know there's existence, but to be able to show the community
proof or evidence, it's good to see partnerships with Murrumbidgee Local Health District and Griffith Base Hospital. So, you know, it's a way I guess moving forward and working together I guess for the significance of it and embracing it. 
Joshua Marr, Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council
I'm glad to see that Griffith actually has an Aboriginal presence and it's actually being recognised. Now I've learned from a lot of the team
how the actual artifacts are made. It's good to work alongside people who are actually doing it in the field and Indigenous followers themselves who have that information and are able to pass it on to myself really.
Robert Murray, Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council
It's good to know that they were here camping at the front of the hospital, and they got the trail walking up to the Scenic Hill. So, it's, yeah, very good. 
Roslyn Simpson, Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council
I think it's very important because...to learn about our culture and heritage out here. Like, this is my first time doing this kind of stuff, but it is very interesting and it's good for the community like you don't get to see this very often. 
Amanda Bock, Health Infrastructure
This archaeological find is really fantastic. We're very excited that they've been able to undertake this work in conjunction with the Local Aboriginal Land Council. It's just great that as part of this redevelopment that we've been able to work with the community and salvage these artefacts and then we'll use them in the interpretation of the final product of the building.
Uncle James Williams, Aboriginal Elder
The purpose of the smoking ceremony is to clear the air of any bad spirits. With the construction work that's going on, there's a lot of disturbance and looking if there's any spirits and [unclear] people that are still hanging around, you know it's to put them at a peace of mind and to let them pass on.
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[Music]
Dr Jillian Comber, Archaeologist
So, the findings from this site have told us a lot about the Griffith area. But more importantly, we've also been working in partnership with the Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council and traditional custodians of the land. 

I have learned from talking with them that this area here was related to Scenic Hill. Now Scenic Hill was a ceremonial site, a men's ceremonial site. So, over here on this hill, where the hospital stands behind me was once a much larger hill and so they could see from here over to Scenic Hill, and then they camped down low here right where we are standing now. 

Aboriginal people, particularly men, camped to prepare to go over to Scenic Hill for ceremony and while so here, of course, in making stone tools, because stone tools were used for cutting plant material you know skinning kangaroos for them, for food, for woodworking, and so forth. 

So, activities were occurring here as well as preparing for the ceremony. Now the information we find here, we can extrapolate to the broader Griffith area because there's not been a lot of archaeological work undertaken here. So, this is a very exciting find to give us information about how people lived and worked, and the materials that they used in their toolkit. 
[Music]

[Traditional Aboriginal song and music]
Jill Ludford, Chief Executive, Murrumbidgee Local Health District
Today was actually the story behind the artefacts. It was a time for us hear about the oral history of Aboriginal people and sitting in the same place that they had their campsite and hearing about how they lived, how those artefacts were used, and how they used the surroundings in this region. It was a priceless moment, and I think for us today it was about how can continue that partnership, but importantly how we can continue that focus on wellness. We have a lot to learn around cultural safety and wellness and cultural healing from our Aboriginal communities. 
Uncle James Williams, Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council
Having something like this it just brings a sense of belonging, a sense of feeling of well...they're my ancestors. My ancestors could have been the ones that actually made those artefacts or actually sat here and congregated, had corroboree, had dance, they interacted, traded goods. You'll see papers where, you know, Captain Cook's written about where he sailed up the coast. Well, this is our history, this is our written history and showing it.
Jill Ludford
So, it's about what we're doing today that is really going to make a difference to the future connecting that back to history, seeing the ceremonial dancers who were just so inspiring, and everybody felt that amazing feeling of these guys were great but it's what they made you think when you're watching them dance. 
[Traditional Aboriginal song and music]