A new First Nations partnership is opening doors for travellers

Elizabeth Whitehead Elizabeth Whitehead
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A new partnership between the Australian government and First Nations tourism representatives will benefit Aboriginal-owned businesses and visitors alike.

Cultural experiences are often a top priority for visitors travelling to and around Australia. And with over 250 Indigenous Nations within the country, there’s an incredible diversity and richness of Aboriginal culture to learn about and experience first-hand. Now, a new First Nations tourism partnership is set to champion Aboriginal tour operators and open doors for visitors to connect with Indigenous culture.

What is the First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership?

The First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership is a collaboration between the Australian government and First Nations tourism representatives from every state. The partnership sees the establishment of an independent First Nations tourism body to provide leadership and guidance on Aboriginal tourism offerings.

Victor Cooper Ayal Aboriginal tours
When leading tours, Victor Cooper draws on his 25-plus-year tenure as one of Kakadu’s original park rangers. (Image: Tourism NT/Ayal Aboriginal Tours)

“The partnership is about working collaboratively to provide a unique, potentially life-changing experience for travellers that they’ll remember forever," says Paul Ah Chee, a Yankunytatjara, Wankangurru and Arrernte man and director of build on entities that already exist, providing more opportunities and support for First Nations tourism operators," says Paul.

 

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How will it impact tourism in Australia?

guide Rosanna Angus of Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours
Guide Rosanna Angus of Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours won Top Tour Guide in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2023. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

 “[The tourism offerings] can be broadened out, says Paul. “In the NT, we’ve got a really functional Aboriginal tourism committee. Other states and territories are in a bit more of an infancy stage [in terms of the structures to support First Nations operators]. So the partnership can really provide broader and higher level advocacy for Aboriginal tourism on a national scale".

Some examples of Aboriginal tours to have on your radar include: an art walk on Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island with Quandamooka artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins ; a tour of Garbalgu billabong in the NT with former Kakadu park ranger Victor Cooper of Ayal Aboriginal Tours ; and a tour of WA’s Oolin Sunday Island with Rosanna Angus, winner of the Top Tour Guide in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2023.

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins on North Stradbroke Island
Artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins showcases artwork at her shop. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

“We want visitors to not just stay in the capital cities, but spread out around Australia. That’s why we need to develop a lot more Aboriginal and First Nations products in remote and regional Australia," Paul says. “We have the ingredients for a fantastic tourism experience, that only we can deliver as First Nations people".

Elizabeth Whitehead
Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

    Megan Arkinstall Megan Arkinstall
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    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.