History... Our Beginnings

Prior to the formal establishment of iDIDJ Australia in 2003, our principal officer had a 10 year history of engagement with Indigenous issues especially in the areas of research, community development and education. He has been consultant to Aboriginal community organisations, tertiary institutions and government agencies such as the Northern Land Council and the Aboriginal Areas Protection Agency. In addition to previous employment as a university Sessional Lecturer in Biological Anthropology, he has also held the position of liaison officer for a Homelands Resource Centre in an Arnhem Land community.

In the didgeridoo world, our principal officer found the consonance of didgeridoo players worldwide in 1996 with a website devoted to the traditional didgeridoo playing techniques of Arnhem Land. 'Didjeridu Techniques of an Aboriginal Tribe' was a reminder to didgeridoo players that there was more to playing the instrument than circular breathing... the basic fundamentals of technique and style was simply something most didgeridoo players did not consider important.

The website was also the first to speak of the Yolngu people, Arnhem Land and the yirdaki, and the first to demonstrate the unique playing techniques of north-east Arnhem Land. As the number of visitors to the website grew, so did public consciousness as evidenced in the number of devotees worldwide who made their pilgrimage to Australia's north. The didgeridoo was no longer seen as merely a musical instrument but an important part - indeed a continuing part - of the cultural heritage of the Aboriginal tribes of northern Australia.

In 1998 our principal officer instigated the Wandering Didj project, an ambitious undertaking involving the voyage of an authentic Arnhem Land didgeridoo across the world for 3 years, with the part aim of raising awareness of didgeridoo quality and authenticity issues.

Recognising the latent problems of exploitation in the didgeridoo industry, our principal officer established a web presence for Djalu Gurruwiwi in 2000 with the aim of helping Djalu reclaim his market potential. This was augmented by the formal establishment of Djalu's Rripangu Yirdaki enterprise and a dedicated website in 2001.

Today, iDIDJ Australia continues to work on education, promotion, advocacy and ethical trade, with the preservation of the didjeridu's cultural integrity as one of its key objectives.

The future

We look forward to a future where Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights are respected and protected, and where Australian Aboriginal custodians of the didgeridoo are accorded the same recognition as the highest creative achievers in mainstream society.