Climate stories

I live on the lands of my Gulumoerggin Larrakia ancestors in Garramilla (Darwin), where the ancestral grandfather ‘Darriba Nungalinya’ (old man rock) for Larrakia can be seen from the northern beaches during low tide. Nungalinya rock is sacred and our protector ancestor spirit for everyone living here, but disrespecting the rock and the environment upsets Nungalinya. We see big storms and cyclones when Nungalinya is upset. I worry about the rising sea levels in future possibly making Nungalinya disappear under the water, even during low tides. Larrakia culture and people will be devastated to lose sight of Nungalinya, which could be irreversible. Will we see another cyclone like cyclone Tracy from 1974, which tore down all the homes in Darwin and meant the whole town needed to be rebuilt? It’s a similar story we are seeing around the world more and more, with whole communities being destroyed relatively recently with climate change. I have grave concerns about Darwin and our homes being torn down, again.
When I walk along Casuarina beach, Miyimining area, I see Casuarina trees are falling down along the coast due to beach erosion. The tide is getting higher and claiming the higher ground where the trees are. First the tree roots become exposed, more and more, until the giant tree topples over without support and then dies. I’m heartbroken to see we are losing our tall and mighty Casuarina trees along Casuarina beach.
In the same area where the Casuarina trees are being lost, we have an annual return of migratory shorebirds that travel from as far off as the Artic Circle – Siberia, Alaska and China. They come to rest on the beach and feed, after travelling long distances. I worry the beaches will wash away and the birds will not find food or rest here anymore. This will cause further disturbance for the ecosystem and Nungalinya, and we will be deeply saddened to have less diversity of birds. And what about all the other animals, land and sea being impacted by climate change? Turtles need the beaches to lay their eggs, but their nests are getting flooded and lost to the rising tides. Nearly all sea turtle species are already classified as endangered.
Garramilla is the Larrakia name used for the Darwin area and means ‘white rock’, which you can see along areas coastline – looking at the cliffs that stand tall and strong. The rising seas are shockingly destroying Garramilla – the coastal cliffs. We are seeing the cliffs noticeably being worn down, eroding and falling away. The local council has built reinforcement for the cliffs, but the reinforcements will only hold for so long.
Our Country in Garramilla is being destroyed by climate change, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events. The seasons are changing and it’s getting hotter than it already is. We are feeling the heat and needing to use our air-conditioners more in the warmer months. Our animals are feeling it too.
I stand in solidarity with the uncles and the Torres Straits. We are fighting for survival and to stop it getting hotter together.