A Torres Strait Island woman born in Cairns.

The two decades leading up to Bangarra’s founding in 1989 were a time of extraordinary change, resilience and vision for First Nations people. The 1967 Referendum, the establishment of the Aboriginal Legal Service in Redfern in the early 1970s, the Aboriginal Medical Service in 1971, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972, and the growth of Aboriginal Land Councils throughout the 1970s and 1980s signalled a powerful movement towards self-determination. From Redfern emerged pioneering First Nations-led organisations that would become national trailblazers, including the Aboriginal Housing Company, Murawina Preschool, Aboriginal Dance Theatre Redfern, and Radio Skid Row, which later evolved into Radio Redfern and the Gadigal Information Service. At the heart of it all was The Black Theatre, a gathering place where culture, activism and truth-telling ignited a new generation of First Nations voices. 

One of those voices was the remarkable Dulcie Flower, a Torres Strait Island woman born in Cairns, a tireless advocate, activist and member of Bangarra’s inaugural Board of Directors. Now in her late 80s, Dulcie recalls those years with a clarity and warmth that makes the past feel vividly present. Sitting with her was a privilege. Through her stories, we are transported back to a defining moment in our history, when Bangarra’s flame was first lit and the power of culture, story and truth-telling was reshaping the future for First Nations people.