The 23rd annual Garma Festival, which started on Friday, is the first held without the presence of Yunupingu, the respected Yolngu leader and campaigner for Indigenous rights, who passed away in April at the age of 74.
A pioneer of the lands rights movement, Yunupingu founded Garma in 1999.
This year’s festival featured a moving memorial ceremony for the late Aboriginal leader, who was remembered for his vision and legacy.
A photograph of Gumatj elder Galarrwuy Yunupingu at Garma Festival 2023 near Nhulunbuy, East Arnhem Land.
In an interview with SBS Hindi and SBS Mandarin, Mr Tilley remembered the Yolngu elder not only as a "great visionary" but also as a "generous friend".
Mr Tilley was working in a mining company in the Gove Peninsula, in 1972, when he met Yunupingu, who was an offsider of his truck.
“I had just come out of national service in the army and I saw he was about the same age. I thought, I'll try and be friendly because it's my nature.”
“My first question to him was, have you ever been away from your Carrolup, which was the Aboriginal mission? I said, you've been to Darwin?
"He said 'yes, I've been to Darwin, I've been to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Suva, Zurich and London'.
“I said, 'bloody hell, maybe you'd better drive the truck', so from that moment we became friends,” recalled Mr Tilley.
He said he found Yunupingu to be a very outgoing, friendly person who generously shared knowledge of his language and culture.
A supplied image shows family members of Yunupingu speaking during a public memorial held for Australian activist Galarrwuy Yunupingu in Gunyangara, Northern Territory,Gumatj leader and activist Yunupingu has been remembered as a champion for his people at a ceremony in northeast Arnhem Land celebrating his life. Credit: SUPPLIED/PR IMAGE
According to him, it was not common for people like him to go to the mission that housed 2,000 mine workers, all of them single men, because there had been trouble in the past.
One night there was a fire at the mission gate and when a 'white man' pulled up on his motorbike, a group of older Indigenous men thought he might cause trouble.
But Mr Tilley said that when he spoke to them in their language, big smiles grew on their faces. They began calling him 'Andy wawa (brother)' and since then he has been known as ‘Motorbike Andy’.
Mr Tilley explains how he came to be known as 'Motorbike Andy' while working in the mines at the Gove Peninsula around 1972. Credit: SBS
Yunupingu pursued justice and persevered for land rights for his people throughout his life and became known as the ‘Gurtha’, which means fire in Gumatj (Yolngu language).
He said it would be hard to fill Yunupingu’s shoes, but because of what he set up, it was "quite possible".
“One of his brothers said to me that he was the ‘Gurtha’ and we are the sparks from the fire,” explained Mr Tilley.
He said that spark was evident in the speech delivered by Yunupingu’s brother, Djawa Yunupingu, at this year's Garma Festival.
Senior Gumatj leader of the Yolngu people, Djawa Yunupingu speaks at the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Saturday, August 5, 2023. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
“He made them and made us recognise that to follow that course, to follow that Yulngu Indigenous understanding, would be a benefit not just to the Yulngu people but to all of Australia.”
Mr Tilley said the Garma Festival has achieved its vision of becoming a meeting place for people from all over the world, from all over Australia, and from many walks of life.
Members of the Yolngu people from north-eastern Arnhem Land perform the Bunggul traditional dance during the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Sunday, August 6, 2023. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
