Our Story

Walya is an Aboriginal business originating from the heart of Australia.

Walya Productions is an Aboriginal business originating from central Australia. The word ‘walya’ means earth in Warlpiri an Aboriginal language nation of central Australia. The Walya logo is the symbol of the spinifex plant representing our central Australian origins. Walya Production objectives is to enrich and inspire future generations. The Aboriginal Australia Amazing Facts & Inventions is part of Walya Productions aim to support future generations.

To learn more about Walya Productions Cultural Awareness training and resources contact salesinfo@walya.com.au

ORIGINS

Walya Productions was established by Damien Loizou a Warlpiri man born and raised in Darwin, NT. The Walya Productions story is essentially the story of Damien’s mother, Olive Kathleen Kennedy and his grandmother Maudie Kennedy who together arguably started the Stolen Generation movement in the NT and his father John Loizou a political journalist who always supported the Aboriginal cause and assisted where and when he could.

Walya Productions philosophy and purpose can be traced back to the influence of family, culture, community and the desire to contribute to positive change for the benefit of the Australian community as a whole.

Maudie Kennedy along with other family members fled the Coniston massacre along the Lander River before they sought refuge at the Phillip Creek Mission. Olive Kathleen Kennedy was born at Phillip Creek mission, located north of Tennant Creek, NT. She was later removed without permission from her mother Maudie soon after the Second World War and taken to Darwin and raised at the Retta Dixon home.

Through the ‘bush telegraph’ Maudie located her daughter who by which time had met her future husband John in Darwin. John at the age of 17 was an ABC cadet and was sent from Dandenong Victoria to work in the Darwin ABC office in the late 1950’s. Returning to Melbourne with his finance, John and Olive married in Melbourne and while living in Melbourne (1964 – 1968) received information which changed forever the social fabric of their existence and influenced their outlook on Aboriginal issues and Australian community and politics.

In Melbourne, Olive received parcels of clothes and money from a person she never met and whom she had been raised to believe had abandoned her. Learning the truth and reconnecting with her mother, Olive and John returned to Darwin.

Olive continued the journey of reconnecting with her family and culture at a time when Government and community were still engaged in the social engineering of the separation of urban and remote Aboriginal people. Being raised at the Retta Dixon home Olive was part of the group of Retta Dixon children who were avid Wanderers supporters (John, Brendan and Damien would play for Wanderers).

Olive at Retta Dixon home Darwin

The Australian Newspaper March 17-18, 2001

Olive through the support of John (Olive and John separated after more than 15 years of marriage in 1975) raised awareness of the truth amongst other Retta Dixon children and facilitated the reconnection between mother’s and family with their removed children. Olive facilitated for instance Lorna Cubillo (maiden name Lorna Nelson and the Plaintiff for the famous Cubillo, Gunner vs Commonwealth) return and reconnection to her family, all without any Government or organisation support.

Lorna Cubillo with her children Darryl and Lolita on a trip with Olive to visit family south of Tennant Creek NT, picture taken by Ol- ive. Lorna on floor of Parliament house for PM Rudd’s apology being comforted by community members, Net & Valerie pic SBS

John assisted the cause by continuing to raise awareness of Land Rights movement and working with people such as Jim Bowditch, Brian Manning, Bill Day and other social conscious Australians advocating for social justice for Aboriginal Australians.

John Loizou Obituary, The Age.

Olive, Maudie and John have now since passed away. Walya Productions was established in loving memory of the hardship, sacrifice and resilience endured by Maudie, Olive and John; Who unapologetically sort fairness, decency and justice in the community for the benefit of all Australians’. Although their names and silent contribution has all but been forgotten their memory and legacy echoes through Walya Productions.

Supporting Future Generations

Walya Productions seeks to contribute to supporting future generations in the following ways:

• Promote awareness and understandings of how the Poverty Cycle operates in an Aboriginal community context.
• Assist and support Aboriginal people and communities reaching critical mass and reaching their full potential.
• Promote tolerance and understanding in broader Australian community of the rich cultural heritage of Aboriginal Australia and the circumstances and issues experienced by Aboriginal Australians.
• Develop strategies and initiatives around community economic development.

Contribution and donations for community benefit

Keeping with Aboriginal values of caring and supporting community for community well-being and benefit and were possible make contributions in kind and or financial to community causes for the benefit of all Australians pursuant to the aims and objectives of Walya Productions.