Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park

How it began

Tjapukai by night

In 1987 a cross-cultural group of entertainers created Australia's first Aboriginal dance theatre in the small village of Kuranda, near Cairns.

Operating out of a hastily renovated shopping centre basement, Tjapukai Dance Theatre offered a one hour musical comedy - the first ever opportunity for tourist visitors to experience and interact with the culture.

Driven by a demand from visitors to know more, to learn more, in 1996 Tjapukai moved into a 25 acre park at Smithfield, a 15 minutes drive from Cairns City.

They expanded into more theatres, more entertainment, and attracted more international and domestic visitors. The entire park was dedicated to preserving and presenting authentic Aboriginal Culture with the aid of the most modern technology.

Tjapukai today

Tjapukai by day

Today Tjapukai is one of Australia's largest and most successful tourist attractions. Born of a need to portray the Tjapukai Aboriginal culture with dignity and pride it is a stunning theatrical and symbolic interpretation of a 40,000-year-old society. The experiences within the park portray the essence of life for the Tjapukai people - from the wondrous legends of the Dreamtime through to the present reality of today's Tjapukai people.

Recently Tjapukai launched its newest product ‘Tjapukai by Night' and now presents multiple shows and demonstrations in nine different arenas continuously from 9am till 10pm, seven days a week.

Distinctive difference

Tjapukai by day

Tjapukai is the largest Indigenous tourism commercial enterprise ever undertaken in Australia. The Djabugay and Yirigandji tribal councils have majority shareholding in the park. Elders have overseen and authorised all the product content of the park and it is the only authorised presentation of the culture in the entire region.

Leadership

Education & fun

Don and Judy Freeman: The founders and directors of multi-award winning Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and the Tjapukai company, the world's most successful Aboriginal theatre company.

Corinne Brim: 'Aunty Corinne' is Tjapukai's Operations Manager. Before working at Tjapukai, Corinne was a well know artist in Kuranda for many years. She was commissioned by Tjapukai to paint the Creation Story pictures now featured in the Magic Space.

Ernest Brim: During his teenage years, many Dreamtime Stories were passed on to Ernest by his grandfather and father, both Djabugay Elders. After working for many years with the Kuranda Forestry Department, Ernest chose to join the horticulture division at Tjapukai. He has since worked in various departments in the park and is currently re-telling the Dreamtime stories of his ancestors in Tjapukai's Cultural Sharing Program, as well as serving as the Cultural Officer.

The challenges

Tjapukai by night

When Tjapukai first began in 1987, there wasn't anything that presented ancient Aboriginal culture to an audience anywhere in Australia. In fact, when Tjapukai began their Aboriginal theatre, they weren't even sure if the audience would be there.

They had to win over a local community (both black and white), and a tourism industry unsure where to place a product like this, they also had to win the hearts and minds of an audience who had never before been exposed to anything like this.

Where Tjapukai encountered prejudice, they answered it with humour and talent. When they found barriers, they charmed them out of existence with their passion and vision of what they wanted so much to achieve.

Not only has Tjapukai succeeded to become Australia's premier Indigenous cultural attraction, it has paved the way for Indigenous tourism to develop in this country.

Doing it first also meant they needed to do it so well they became the benchmark that those who followed. Most important was the content and style of the show; it illuminated Aboriginality for the first time.

Tjapukai took what everyone believed was a novel idea and transformed it into a new industry. They have sustained the self-determination and economic independence of the Tjapukai community and created a multi-million dollar attraction that benefits an entire region.

Time Line

Snap shot

Images courtesy of Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, Cairns.