Deadly Grannies Reflect on the 2025 Provincial Walkabout
Fiona Boyle, Ann Cook, Heather Priest, Reverend Cannon Shannon Smith
Learning on Country
Kooyoora CEO Fiona Boyle recently sat down with the Deadly Grannies on Dja Dja Wurrung Country to yarn about their experience of the 2025 Provincial Walkabout. What came through in that conversation was honesty, warmth, grief, laughter, friendship and a deep sense that this journey mattered, not just while it was happening, but long after it ended.
In their conversation, the women reflected on how Provincial Walkabout has become a meaningful way of learning through experience. They spoke about travelling together across Country, hearing directly from Traditional Owners and gaining a deeper understanding of the histories, cultures and communities connected to each place. For Aboriginal clergy and community members, especially those who have come from elsewhere, Walkabout has helped ground them in the places where they now live and serve.
One of the clearest things to come through was that this kind of learning cannot happen properly from a desk or in a boardroom. Walkabout is different because it happens on Country, in relationship and in conversation. It comes through listening to Elders, visiting places of significance and hearing stories where they belong. That kind of learning stays with you.
Facing hard truths
The journey also brought people face to face with some hard truths. There were places marked by deep sadness and trauma, and stories of massacre, removal, loss and disrespect. The women spoke not only about the weight of that history, but also about the reality that racism and misunderstanding are still part of life now. This was not just a journey into the past. It was also a reminder of what still needs to change.
There were moments that were deeply confronting, including seeing Aboriginal cultural items treated without the respect they deserve. But the conversation was not only about what was witnessed. It was also about how people responded. There was something important in that shared sense of responsibility, in speaking up, naming what was wrong and refusing to look away. Walkabout was not only about learning. It was also about action.
Connection, healing and community
Alongside the hard moments were stories of connection, tenderness and healing. The women spoke about returning to Country, taking off their shoes, greeting ancestors and feeling the significance of being on land that held family story. They spoke about shared cultural experiences that brought comfort, belonging and, for some, a feeling of home.
That is part of what made the journey so powerful. It was not only educational. It was deeply relational. Friendships were formed and community was strengthened. People carried one another through the tiredness, the emotion, the laughter and the hard conversations. They spoke about debriefing over dinner, travelling together day and night and still talking about the experience a year later.
There was plenty of humour as well. Snow stories, magpies, teasing one another, Devon sandwiches and all the small moments that come when people travel closely together were just as much a part of the experience. The laughter did not take away from the seriousness of the journey. If anything, it sat alongside it as another sign of resilience, care and connection.
2026 Provincial Walkabout
Planning is already underway for the 2026 Walkabout, with travel across Barapa Barapa Country, into the Riverina and through places of deep cultural significance including Warangesda, Lake Mungo, Mildura and Swan Hill. Shannon invites others to come along, listen deeply, learn from what is shared and be open to where the journey might take you.
Footprints
One of the strongest images to come out of the yarn was the idea of footprints. The women spoke about the footprint this work is leaving in the Bendigo diocese and beyond, something being laid down now for others to follow.
It is a powerful way to think about what Walkabout is creating: a legacy of truth-telling, cultural learning, accountability, relationship and hope.
This work is not about ticking a box or completing a program. It is about walking together, telling the truth, caring for one another and taking the next steps with honesty, respect and courage.