An estimated 12,000 people attended the inaugural Saltwater Freshwater Festival on Gumbaynggirr country in Garlambirla (Coffs Harbour) on a very hot Australia Day.

Initially we were expecting between 3,000 – 5,000 people and I said to my husband, if we get 5,000 that would be ‘amazing’.

So thank you Coffs Harbour for embracing the Festival – and thanks also to all those people who travelled in to enjoy Aboriginal culture on Australia Day.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful site than the Regional Botanic Garden, which was packed all day, right through to the closing ceremony. And the entertainment was top notch – a real who’s who of Aboriginal music, including ARIA Award-winners Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, who sadly passed away just after the Festival on 18 February, and Troy Cassar-Daley, soul singer Emma Donovan and funksters Whitehouse. It was also great to hear from some of our local talent.

I also want to thank our wonderful supporters, firstly our Festival Patron, Aden Ridgeway, who is a proud Gumbaynggirr man and also an Australia Day Ambassador. Aden praised the north coast for ‘leading the nation’ calling the Festival “the greatest example of a cross-cultural event I’ve seen on Australia Day, a remarkable coming together.” It was great to see Aden enjoying the day with his family.

The day wouldn’t have been the success it was without our sponsors, Aboriginal Affairs NSW, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, Indigenous Coordination Centre Coffs Harbour, ACET Australia, Country Energy and Coffs Harbour City Council and our Media Partners, the Coffs Coast Advocate and Southern Cross Ten.

The leadership and support of Arts Mid North Coast and the Saltwater Freshwater Alliance, made up of nine of the region’s Local Aboriginal Land Councils, also deserves special commendation. As Bev Manton, Chairperson of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council commented, “The Festival was an inspiring showcase of Aboriginal culture and identity. The hard work and dedication of the Local Aboriginal Land Councils – along with the many other people involved – will help ensure the Saltwater Freshwater Festival is the premium event of its kind in the country.”

The Saltwater Freshwater Alliance will be meeting mid March to decide the host town for next year’s Festival, but due to popular demand, we might just see another Festival yet in Coffs Harbour on Australia Day in 2011.

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Archie Roach is a truly gifted and inspiring talent. Born at Framlingham Aboriginal mission, Warrnambool in south western Victoria, Archie was taken from his family at an early age as part of the notorious ’stolen generation’.

Institutionalised, and then fostered, the Archie Roach story has been well documented. A former homeless alcoholic, Archie Roach recorded his first record, Charcoal Lane, in 1990 with Paul Kelly as producer.

The album contained Took the Children Away, a song that dealt with Archie’s personal experience as one of what is now called the ’stolen generation’ of Aboriginal people.

The album won two Aria Awards and a Human Rights Award – the first time a Human Rights award has been awarded to a songwriter. It was also in the US Rolling Stone’s Top 50 albums for 1992 and achieved gold status in Australia.

In 1992 Archie recorded Jamu Dreaming. Released in 1993, this album was recorded with musical assistance from David Bridie, Tiddas, Paul Kelly, Linda and Vika Bull, Ruby Hunter, Dave Arden and Joe Geia. Jamu Dreaming was nominated for an Aria Award in 1994 and was in Australia’s Top 40.

Released in July 1997, Looking for Butter Boy was recorded on his traditional land at Port Fairy in South-Western Victoria. This album won three Aria Awards in 1998.

Aside from his recorded offerings and many awards, Archie has also performed with some of the top names in the entertainment business – including Paul Kelly, Weddings Parties Anything, Crowded House, Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega, Bob Dylan, Joan Armatrading and Patti Smith.

“I thought writing the song Took The Children Away was, in part, a way of telling people that taking children from their families was not necessarily the best or only so-called solution concerning the child or their family’s well being. I was wrong.

We thought the Bringing Them Home report would see measures taken to ensure it should never happen again. We were wrong. We thought the Deaths in Custody report would help prevent such things happening. We were wrong.

Troy is thrilled to bits and and would like to pass on his huge thanks to everyone for their support of him throughout his career and for his latest album ‘I Love This Place’.

It’s the continuation of a massive year for Troy. He has been awarded the Q Music award for Single of the Year with ‘Big, Big Love’ and the MO award for ‘Male Entertainer of the Year’. He has

also been selected in the top 20 artists for the prestigious ‘CMC Oz Artist of the Year award’. Adding to an already impressive CV listing 16 #1 country singles, 14 Golden Guitars,

7 Deadlys (Indigenous artist awards) and 4 CMAA (Country Music Association of Australia) Entertainer of the Year awards, Troy Cassar-Daley reaffirms his position as one of

Australia’s finest and favourite recording artists.

At the recent Country Music Awards of Australia award announcement for the 2010 Golden Guitars, Troy earned himself a massive SEVEN nominations. Six individual “Golden Guitars”

including the big four: Single of the Year and APRA Country Song Of The Year and Video Clip Of The Year for ‘Big, Big Love’, Album of the Year for ‘I Love This Place’ & Male Artist of the Year.

Troy’s song that he wrote and recorded with The McClymonts Ain’t Gonna Change for You has been nominated in the Vocal Collaboration category and ‘Chasing Rodeo’ for Heritage Song of the Year.

Never one to stop still, Troy has already announced his annual Tamworth Festival gig and is also thrilled to be heading south to play for his many Victorian fans at the following venues.

Troy Cassar-Daley is probably best known in Australia as the most likeable bloke in country music! He is also one of Australia’s most awarded and respected singer/songwriters.

Hot on the heels of his Gold Certified ‘Born To Survive’ – Best of CD & Platinum DVD Collection, Troy has released the first single from his highly anticipated new album, ‘I Love This Place’.

The driving, yet infectiously melodic ‘Big, Big Love’ will herald a career defining album for Troy. But still we have fans hoping to hear old country classics on the day, like ‘Silver Wings’ by Merle Haggard.

There is a real energy and positive spirit generated by ‘Big, Big Love’ – one that sets the theme for the entire album. Troy was inspired by a text message from mate, Keith Urban. “Keith was on cloud nine after the birth of Sunday Rose, and signed off the text with ‘Big Love’. I sat down and wrote the song straight away. Love doesn’t get much bigger than the love you have for your family.”

So come along with your family to enjoy Australia Day with Troy on the Coffs Coast.

See who else is playing with Troy on the day.

The biggest celebration of the Mid North Coast’s Indigenous culture ever heald, the inaugaral festival will take over Coffs harbours Botanic Garden on January 26 for a day of music, dance, food, art and games.

There will be three stages and a forest of marquees in the garden and activities will range from concert performances to didgeridoo workshops; from traditional Aboriginal dancing to hip hop; from art exhibitions to gunya building and from weaving workshops to gourmet bush tukka.

The organiser of the inaugral festival is Arts Mid North Coast Aboriginal cultural development officer, designer and TV personality Alison Page.

She says the name comes from the unique geography of the region, with its many rivers and its coastline nurturing both saltwater and freshwater people.

“We want to showcase local talent, celebrate the culture of the first Australians here and offer something very meaningful everyone can share.” Sshe said

“There are 11,000 Aboriginal people in the Mid North Coast and its one of the nations most culturally rich areas”.

“Emma Donovan comes from Nambucca; Troy Cassar Daley comes from Grafton; lead singer of Whitehouse comes from Taree.”

“We have 170 Aboriginal artists in the area”

Alison is part of the AMNC Foundation of our Future Program, which is looking at long-term development of the culture of the nine Aboriginal Communities between Taree and Coffs Harbour.

She sees cultural development of everything from traditional weaving to bush tucker as helping to close the economic and social gap for Aboriginal people more effectively than ’shoehorning’ them into jobs in supermarkets and banks.

She said 52 percent of indigenous people in the region were under 19; 25 percent of them under four and only 9 percent were over 55.