Aunty Carolyn Briggs

Boonwurrung Elder

Aunty Carolyn Briggs is a Boonwurrung elder from Victoria who is recognised as a keeper of the history and genealogies of her people. She says, “It’s about the strength of families, our heritage and the sense of belonging to place.” Aunty Carolyn is a language and linguistics expert and is dedicated to recording her Boonwurrung language in oral and written form. She has been active in community development, Native Title, cultural preservation and cultural promotion. For many years she ran the Tjanabi restaurant in Melbourne, which specialised in contemporary Aboriginal cooking, promoted the Boonwurrung culture and became “the place to meet” for Indigenous people. Aunty Carolyn established Australia’s first Aboriginal childcare centre and is CEO of the Boonwurrung Foundation, which she set up to help connect Aboriginal youth to their heritage. Aunty Carolyn is also a member of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.