The Yalinguth App, supported by Informit’s 2023 First Peoples’ Lens Cultural Fund, launched in October 2023 during the Melbourne Fringe Festival. This immersive audio app experience along the Birrarung (Yarra River) in Naarm/Melbourne follows the success of its first iteration on Gertrude Street Ngár-go/Fitzroy.
Since the 1960s, Indigenous placemaking interventions, including maps, signage, and guided tours, have been implemented by municipal councils to acknowledge prior Indigenous occupation. Few have generated as much interest or won as many awards as Yalinguth, a First Nations-led, geo-located story app. The app offers immersive audio tours featuring recollections by local Elders, presenting a variety of emotions from warmth and humour to sadness and confrontation.
Guided by Jason Tamiru (Yorta Yorta) and Wurundjeri Elders, attendees were taken on a journey showcasing their enduring connection to country and culture, sharing stories of strength, resilience, and knowledge. This event earned the Melbourne Fringe Festival Best Words and Ideas Award, and the app has received several nominations and awards in the fields of documentary, landscape architecture, and design.
Through stories, soundscapes, music, and projections, Yalinguth invites audiences to walk through time and experience life along the Birrarung (Yarra River) before colonisation. For those interested in experiencing the Birrarung/Yarra River journey, the Yalinguth app is available for download, allowing users to engage with the river and its stories at their own pace.
Stay updated on future events and news by following Yalinguth Facebook and Instagram.
