Mahbilil rocks Kakadu

16 September 2014

The Chooky Dancers (Djuki Mala) take a tour of the East Alligator with Abel Naborlhborlh before their sensational performance at the Mahbilil Festival. PHOTO: DOMINIC O’BRIEN

PEOPLE came flooding in from all over Arnhem Land. From the outstations around Jabiru. From Yirrkala and Galiwinku in the east, to Warruwi, Maningrida, Minjilang and Gunbalanya in the west.

For two days, throughout the the Gurrung Sports Carnival and long into the night of the Mahbilil Festival, Jabiru, in the heart of Kakadu National Park, was home to a thriving hub of activity.

West Arnhem Regional Council brought in hundreds of competitors for Gurrung Sports Carnival, who later joined tourists, Jabiru locals and the huge and diverse festival crowd at Lake Jabiru.

Men’s and women’s basketball and men’s AFL got underway from 4pm Friday 5 September, continuing until late afternoon on Saturday, with footy at Brockman Oval and basketball at the Jabiru School courts.

Meanwhile, at the Mahbilil Festival at Lake Jabiru, a demonstration area of indigenous spear-making, painting and weaving ran throughout the day alongside fun-fair action including dodgem cars, a slippery slide and face-painting for kids. There were art stalls, information stalls, hot food and drinks, and a Gungarre cooking demonstration, with the ground-oven feast served up later in the day.

Mahbilil Festival director Scott De Large said he was impressed with the number of people from the community who got involved, both as volunteers and in the performances and stalls.

“Congratulations to Jabiru for throwing such a great festival, and a big thanks to all the people who got involved and helped out – they did themselves proud, and it was great to be a part of it,” Scott said.

Mandy Garling kicked off the musical acts, which also included Neville Namarnjilk, the Mimi Band, the Bininj Band and The Minjilang Connection, along with performances from Kindred Circus, Bininj Gunborrk and Gunbalanya Dancers.

The festival also featured a special show by Jabiru Area School kids who – after only a week’s training – put on a fiery, skilful, acrobatic act as Psycus Circus.

Plus there was the headline act, East Journey, all the way from Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land. “I’d seen East Journey play a couple of times, and they have an amazing reputation,” Scott said. “They’ve just recorded an album with the remaining members of Yothu Yindi.”

One surprise announcement in the short build-up to Mahbilil was the extremely popular inclusion of the Djuki Mala dance group, or Chooky Dancers, also from East Arnhem Land. By coincidence, the Chooky Dancers, from the Galiwinku community on Elcho Island, had just finished their 2014 National Tour were flying into Darwin a few days before the festival.

“I had toured with them nationally earlier this year, so I approached them about performing at Mahbilil and they were pretty enthusiastic,” Scott told The Wire.

“They were also very excited to do a community event with local kids before the festival, at Town Camp.”

Scott – whose background is with the Alice Desert Festival and the Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs – says the success of a community festival depends on which acts you approach, and how.

“Some bands just want to perform and go, while other people are more interested in local stories – local perspectives and local people,” he said. “In a town as small as Jabiru, it is important to have that community engagement.”

He said Dave Garnham & The Reasons To Live teaming up with Jabiru Choir of Man was a good example. Following a promotional shout out around town, found a handful of talented local blokes who got together in rehearsals to form a group of backing singers known as The Jabiru Choir of Man.

“It shifted what is a good band – Dave Garnham & The Reasons To Live – into a local spectacle. With 11 local fellas up there it meant more to the people,” Scott said.

One of the most popular events at the festival was Magpie Goose Cooking Competition.

“We had a record number of people getting involved, with 20 entrants,” he said.

Last year’s winner, West Arnhem Regional Council’s Valentin Markez, put in three entries in a stoic effort to defend his title. But this year Valentin’s goose was cooked, so to speak, when Jackie Christopherson took first prize with her delicious Magpie Goose Spring Rolls. Nonetheless, the local council put in a good showing, with Home and Community Care Coordinator Chrissie Nichols winning second prize with her Red Goose Curry.

For more photos of the Mahbilil Festival, visit and 'like' the West Arnhem Regional Council facebook page, or check out our album on facebook here.

To find out the winners of competitions that don’t involve herbs, spices, and sauce – check out the Gurrung Sports Carnival results here.

Marlene Badwana from Jabiru Town Camp shows how pandanus weaving is done at one of the cultural demonstrations organised by Children's Ground.