To the Residents of Brewarrina , I recently passed through Brewarrina with some friends on our way to somewhere else .
My brother was in the bank in the 1960s , stationed in Brewarrina where myself and my family visited him several times . The town was a bit ' wild west ' then , as were so many outback places , but it did have a friendly vibe .
My husband and I have visited many more times in the interim but there were times we both felt a little unwelcome and unsafe , which deterred us from stopping long .
However , I ' d like to say that during this visit , we found a very different Brewarrina . A progressive , welcoming , positive town with extremely friendly people everywhere we went .
We had seen the fish traps several times before , but had never really known how they worked or anything about them , so this time we decided to do the tour .
Then the magic began .
Bradley brought the area and the culture of Brewarrina alive in a cohesive , creative and highly informative style . He brought to life the elders , stories and customs of his past and taught us the importance of a collaborative approach to learning , listening and acting to make positive things happen . I felt the differences , the injustices , the resilience , the pride and the humour that weaves the past and present together to make the essence of the Brewarrina that I found today .
So well done Brewarrina ! I believe this unique little town is the future and is showing the way . Brewarrina will never again just be on the way to somewhere for us or for our friends . It will be the destination .
Rae Smith
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