Misc
Babana is a brotherhood of both Aboriginal and Non Aboriginal Men who are focused on working to improve the lives of the greater Sydney Aboriginal communities. The term Babana means ‘brother’ in the Dharuk language. Founded in Redfern in October 2006 (and incorporated in 2007) Babana brings together Men from all walks of life that are committed to supporting and empowering each other, their families and their community.
In late 2013 Tony Albert was commissioned by the City of Sydney to create a Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney, to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service men and women. The memorial will be unveiled in 2015, commemorating 100 years since the landing on Gallipoli. During the realisation of this project, Tony has been working closely with the Babana Men’s Group. Many of Babana’s members are ex-servicemen who have committed their lives to ensuring the recognition of our diggers who have fought for this country.
“Babana has been lobbying for a number of years to recognise the service of these men and women and it is because of them that this memorial opportunity was made possible for me. They are also responsible for the Coloured Diggers ANZAC Day March and services. The contribution of Indigenous service men and women would all have but vanished from history were it not for groups like Babana, who continue to fight against this non-recognition” Tony Albert
Tony is helping Babana fundraise so they can continue their great work, knowing firsthand how their group makes a difference. More than 30 Australian artists have been invited to creatively engage with a bullet made from timber and standing 1 metre tall. An auction of this unique collection of artworks will be held at Carriageworks on 11 November 2014.