Pay the Rent x Nightingale Ballarat

Nightingale Ballarat recently hosted a special event for local traditional owners, residents and tenants.

At the event, Nightingale Ballarat presented their Pay the Rent contribution to members of the Elders Council from Wadawarrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

Aunty Joy Oldaker, residents and Nightingale representatives at the event.

Aunty Joy Oldaker did a Welcome to Country before accepting the donation.

A proud Wadawurrung elder, Aunty Joy has been a member of the Corporation for over 20 years and actively contributes to the Council of Elders where she safeguards Culture, facilitates the transmission of knowledge and advocates for a respectful platform for Elders’ voices to be heard.

Aunty Joy said that the money would contribute to a possum skin cloak for special events in the region.

Nightingale Housing engages with Pay the Rent as part of their recognition that the land they live, work and play on was forcibly taken from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Pay the Rent is a not-for-profit program organised by First Nations and non-First Nations people working together, acknowledging the Sovereignty of Aboriginal people and offering a somewhat just way of living on stolen land.

A key principle of the organisation is that Aboriginal people should have control of any Rent received:

“We see this group as a grassroots-to-grassroots initiative; it enables funds to be contributed by individuals directly to grassroots causes and campaigns with a focus on protecting First Nations rights.”

Prior to the event, members of the Nightingale Ballarat Owners Corporation and the Community Connections Committee met and established a connection with local traditional owners.

CEO Nightingale Housing, Dan McKenna and Hygge Director, Joe van Dyk chat with residents at the event.

Photo credits: Kate Longley from Nightingale Housing