DEG is an Aboriginal cultural organisation which works to support Elders' wellbeing, protect Aboriginal cultural heritage, promote local Aboriginal cultural knowledge, values and identity, and manage natural and knowledge resources. The organisation also works for community development and promoting relationships between Aboriginal Elders and other generations of the Walgett Aboriginal community.
Dharriwaa Elders Group is a proud and active member of the NSW Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and Arts Association.
In furthering its cultural protection and promotional work DEG offers cultural maintenance activities, supports its members’ advocacy to governments and landholders and, depending on funding, offers cultural education e.g. cultural exhibitions, publications, and schools and community education activities.
When opportunities have arisen, DEG has contributed projects to support and enhance Walgett’s tourism economy including the scarred tree enclosure at the Barwon Inn which we are in the process of restoring, the walking tracks along the Namoi River at Walgett with its series of 16 interpretive signs (part of the Walgett Walking Tour featured on this website), exhibitions at the DEG Elders Centre 47 Fox St and Euragai Goondi, and Walgett’s first arts and crafts shop located at our offices at 47 Fox Street that aims to sell items of local cultural expression.
DEG’s arts and crafts collection has different layers of significance and contains knowledge that DEG strives to share through cultural engagement and education activities for the Walgett Aboriginal community first. These activities are all dependent on capacity and funding opportunities for knowledge and values maintenance are rare.
The DEG's partnership with UNSW Sydney - Yuwaya Ngarrali (vision) supports many of the DEG's objectives. See a list of our current projects here. In recent years, investment in Yuwaya Ngarrali from The Paul Ramsay Foundation has enabled significant growth for DEG, bringing with it a greater capacity to operate, employ and access the service supports we need to design and trial the services and infrastructure for a Well Walgett. Alongside this growth a renewal of leadership has progressed including the development since 2024 of DEG's management team.
Our current organisational structure will be published here soon.
Current Financial Supporters
DEG and the University of NSW seek financial support together from philanthropic and government sectors, for a range of projects undertaken by the partnership of Yuwaya Ngarra-li. The Elders' social support and associated transport activities are supported by the Commonwealth of Australia through the Department of Health Commonwealth Home Support Program. DEG's River Ranger program is supported by the Murray Darling Basin Indigenous River Ranger Program of the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Legal services are gratefully received from Gilbert + Tobin and Environmental Defenders Office. The Dharriwaa Elders Group gratefully acknowledges the support of Community First Development and donors, mostly through our online appeals via GiveNow.
The Dharriwaa Elders Group relies heavily on goodwill and community and other support.
This logo shows the totem animals of the Dharriwaa Elders Group - Elders from three Aboriginal nations. The wayamba (short-necked turtle) for the Yuwaalaraay people, the dhinawan (emu) for the Ngayiimbaa people, and the bawurra (red kangaroo) for the Gamilaraay people. A gidjiirr (Acacia cambagei), an important hardwood tree for medicine and tools, is in the background.
Offices: 47 Fox Street, Walgett, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Postal: PO Box 174, Walgett, NSW 2832, Australia.