Bayala Nura: Yarning Country

Bayala Nura celebrates the vibrant, living diversity of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Yarning – sharing stories and songlines through talking, singing and dancing – is a traditional practice used to build connections and pass on cultural knowledge, and is still very much alive today.

In this gallery you’ll find fascinating objects and artworks from all over Indigenous Australia including an array of tall hunting spears and shields from around the country, and colourful yidakis (didjeridus) from Arnhem Land and beyond. See a bark canoe made especially for this exhibition using traditional techniques, and Edward Malati Yunupingu’s playful work, Old Time Footballer, which shows the important role Indigenous artists continue to play in Australia’s cultural life.

Accompanying the objects in this exhibition are first-hand stories of the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal communities, from first contact through the long struggle to maintain identity and sacred connections to Country that continues today.

Welcome to Bayala Nura. Stop by for a yarn some time, and share in the traditional knowledge and living culture of Australia’s First Nations.

To help keep our staff, visitors and community safe, the AM has COVID-19 protocols in place, including physical distancing, increased cleaning and hygiene practices. Facemasks are encouraged.

View our full COVID-19 safety information here.