Candece Jay, Buloke Times

Donald’s Soldier’s Memorial Park was awash with colour as a gathering began to take shape last Saturday, October 28.

Community came together to celebrate one of Australia’s most enduring narratives: migration and mateship, and Donald celebrated well; as multicultural locals came out in force to share food and dance and words.

“Nunkeri Wooren”

Uncle Ron, from the Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative, welcomed everyone and officially opened the festivities with the beautiful sentiment “Nunkeri wooren”, meaning in the Wotjobaluk dialect of the Wergaia language “Here’s my hand and here’s my heart”.

Donald’s first Multicultural Day was organised by the Donald Learning Centre / Neighbourhood House, with the celebrations open to all. MC and event organiser Charmaine Delaney thanked sponsors, Buloke Shire Council, National Centre for Farmer Health and Donald 2000, and the many volunteers, as with all events held in a small community, it simply could not go on without either.

Kyle Kanindot from the Wimmera Filipino Australian Club took the stage, amped up with a microphone and guitar and sang a traditional and soulful Filipino song, “Binbini-Zack Tabudlo” followed by Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill” and “Perfect”. Behind him, a drum joined in as Odai Affotey tapped out an impromptu beat on his African djembe (pronounced jem-bay) drum and the spirit of the day was defined.

Dancers from the Wimmera Filipino Australian club, including locals Corazon Stopps, Maricor Borden, Bryan, Josh Canoy, Glen, John, Loice and Jane, performed next on the grass “stage”. The performers were clearly enjoying themselves as much as the crowd was, and the bank of family and friends cheering them on and taking photographs, increased the carnival atmosphere. By the third festive dance, they were all trying hard not to laugh at each other and themselves – the friendship and love was there to see on all their faces.

Lunch

Lunch was served, and it was hard to know whether to grab a plateful before it was all gone, or stay to watch the dancing before it was over. The food won out, and I headed to the first table where Donald’s Samantha King (facilitator of Donald’s “Teens in the Kitchen” program) offered a tasting table of Irish soda bread, indigenous damper, Mexican pico de gallo, Iranian tabouli, Haitian creole and Argentinian chimichurri sauce.

Table two offered fried rice, stir-fry rice noodle (sadly, I missed that one), chicken adobo, caravan cake, sticky rice and banana turon.

The women in Donald’s Filipino community had outdone themselves and served these delicacies up with an air of motherly pride. Ruzel Mansibang encouraged me to try the fried rice and another voice was telling me to “eat, eat!” It was all delicious, and I found it hard not to go back for seconds.

Drums

Fortunately, African drummer, Odai Affotey took to the stage offering distraction with some alluring beats.

Odai had brought with him enough drums to cater for everyone who wanted to join in – and the ensemble of drummers he attracted was large; his lessons encouraging smiles and laughter as young and old joined in, the sound carrying clear across Donald.

Charmaine Delaney told me the drums were a very comforting memory from her childhood in Africa, and I could empathise, the rhythm was both soothing and catchy. Almost half the crowd joined in the fun and there were literally enough drums to do so.

Tearing myself away from the music, I went to see the Donald Lions Club to make sure the good ole’ Aussie barbecue knew it still had my heart. Any child who wasn’t drumming was over here, attracted by the zooper doopers, jumping castle (thank-you Charlton Lions) and Janelle’s Face and Body Art. Janelle had a queue a mile long, such was the demand for her services.

Bula

After the drums were packed away, table three was reserved for Donald’s Fijian community who introduced us to “Lovo” a ceremonial feast reserved for occasions and events. Bula (mm-boo-lah) “life” and “good health”, is a common greeting and Luisa, matriarch of Donald’s Fijian community, welcomed us all to the celebratory feast. Traditional welcome song, “Bula maleya”, transported the crowd to the tropics, carried by strong tenor voices.

Luisa explained the traditional process of cooking the “Lovo”, the word used for both the feast and the means of cooking it. The traditional technique involves digging a pit into the ground, placing hot coals inside before cooking the food, wrapped in bananas leaves within the underground oven. She went on to explain the alternative sourced when traditional ingredients are hard to come by. With banana leaves and beleo unavailable in Donald, aluminium foil was used as substitute for banana leaves, silver beet or spinach for taro leaf and beleo. The “Lovo” presented chicken, lamb, taro, cassava & pulsami (silver beet with corned beef), with additional dishes vakasakera (spinach and fish cooked in coconut cream) and grilled fish with the miti (cooked in raw coconut cream). All was incredibly delicious.

Another song, this time the traditional farewell “Isa Lei” complete with beautiful Leis (garlands), and Luisa very kindly shared the English translation with those standing nearby, so we could sing along.

Conga

The event looked like it was coming to a close, the kids’ corner was packing up and the barbecue folded away. But among this, music from a speaker started up and suddenly there was a conga line forming, each careering an end. So many laughs and smiles. Such a day of sharing.

I think my favourite part was Helen Verhagen, one of Donald’s speakers at both Australia Day and International Women’s Day events, asking Luisa about how to make the Fijian Palusami. The two were bonding over food, sharing recipes like women of all cultures have done for eons.

Reminder

And I was reminded of “Scouse” the one pot wonder from my own family meals growing up, or Grandma Jay’s creamed rice (not to be confused with baked rice) which has ruined me for all other creamy desserts. We’re all a patchwork of our ancestors who came before us.

Another phrase I picked up during the course of the day was “Dalk maluk” – “I keep my eyes out for you” which encompassed the feeling of sharing and acceptance and love, and well, community; smaller communities coming together as one larger.

And so concluded an event with heart. Neighbours, family and friends came together to share bread, share laughter and share recipes, demonstrating how Donald’s variety of cultures enrich the fabric of the community.

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 3 November 2023.