"My people are not threatened by silence. They are completely at home in it. They have lived for thousands of years with Nature’s quietness... We are asking our fellow Australians to take time to know us, to be still and to listen to us…”,
Miriam Rose
Anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit Byron Bay, Australia’s most easterly point, has undoubtedly experienced its magic. It has been a healing centre for the Bundjalung Arakwal Aboriginal people for thousands of years. The Minjungbal name for Byron Bay was Cavanba, meaning “meeting place”. The cape itself was known as Walgun, meaning “the shoulder”, which was a place for ceremony and spiritual inspiration and remains part of many Dreamtime stories.
The Byron Bay Tea Company range of teas has been inspired by the magic of Byron Bay and its indigenous history as a natural healing ground. With a particular fondness of the native plants in the area, I chose to partner with local suppliers who encourage and support organic sustainable farming methods that aim to preserve native flora and fauna and their habitats. Furthermore, choosing to align with those who also pay tribute to Australia’s indigenous people through education, understanding and employment initiatives.
Our packaging contains graphic but organic shapes and forms reflecting the elements of Byron and the ingredients in a pared-back style. Linework represents the shapes of the land and sea paying homage to Byron Bay’s natural beauty. An abstracted version of the ocean shoreline where the image has been inverted and uses a stipple pattern to create a modern interpretation of the dot style Aboriginal art is best known for. By using this style the pattern takes on a uniquely Australian feel. The layers of the water are amplified and in this simplified form reference the ocean, shoreline, and mountains of Byron Bay.
The Byron Bay Tea Company range of teas has been inspired by the magic of Byron Bay and its indigenous history as a natural healing ground. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the people of the Bundjalung nation, including those from the Arakwal, Widjabul, Bandjalang and Nyangbal tribes whose land we operate on and from. We acknowledge these people as the traditional custodians of this land. We acknowledge that they have occupied and cared for this country over countless generations and we celebrate their continuing contribution to the life and culture of this region. We pay our respects to their elders, past present and emerging.
With such a strong connection to nature and spirit, the indigenous people of Australia are culturally very different. In the poem below, Miriam Rose, an indigenous Australian woman, has gently invited us into her world sharing her perspective. She has so eloquently described the differences and asked us to take the time to “know us, to be still and to listen to us…” in the hope of creating a more united Australia. I hope that this beautiful poem helps you to do this and gives you the insight and understanding so that we can all work towards this goal.
Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann, 2021 Senior Australian of the year, is a renowned Aboriginal Artist and Educator who is dedicated to creating bright and fulfilling futures for Aboriginal children and youth. She was the first fully qualified Aboriginal teacher in the Northern Territory and is the founder of the Miriam Rose Foundation. Miriam Rose speaks five local languages along with English and is responsible for establishing the highly successful Merrepen Arts centre in Nauiyu.
"My people are not threatened by silence. They are completely at home in it. They have lived for thousands of years with Nature’s quietness.
My people today, recognise and experience in this quietness, the great Life-Giving Spirit, the Father of us all.
It is easy for me to experience God’s presence.
When I am out hunting, when I am in the bush, among the trees, on a hill or by a billabong; these are the times when I can simply be in God’s presence.
My people have been so aware of Nature. It is natural that we will feel close to the Creator.
Our Aboriginal culture has taught us to be still and to wait.
We do not try to hurry things up.
We let them follow their natural course – like the seasons.
We watch the moon in each of its phases.
We wait for the rain to fill our rivers and water the thirsty earth…
When twilight comes, we prepare for the night.
At dawn we rise with the sun.
We watch the bush foods and wait for them to ripen before we gather them.
We wait for our young people as they grow, stage by stage, through their initiation ceremonies.
When a relation dies, we wait a long time with the sorrow. We own our grief and allow it to heal slowly.
We wait for the right time for our ceremonies and our meetings. The right people must be present. Everything must be done in the proper way. Careful preparations must be made. We don’t mind waiting, because we want things to be done with care.
We don’t like to hurry. There is nothing more important than what we are attending to. There is nothing more urgent that we must hurry away for.
We wait on God, too. His time is the right time. We wait for him to make his Word clear to us.
We don’t worry. We know that in time and in the spirit of dadirri (that deep listening and quiet stillness) his way will be clear.
We are River people.
We cannot hurry the river.
We have to move with its current and understand its ways.
We hope that the people of Australia will wait.
Not so much waiting for us – to catch up – but waiting with us, as we find our pace in this world. ......
If you stay closely united, you are like a tree, standing in the middle of a bushfire sweeping through the timber.
The leaves are scorched and the tough bark is scarred and burnt; but inside the tree the sap is still flowing, and under the ground the roots are still strong.
Like that tree, you have endured the flames, and you still have the power to be reborn.
Our culture is different.
We are asking our fellow Australians to take time to know us; to be still and to listen to us…"