‘Yarns in the courtyard’: Reflections on our history for NAIDOC week

July 3-10 was NAIDOC Week. It is to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. 

On Wednesday 6th July, the Builders Arms Hotel hosted ‘Yarns in the courtyard’ in collaboration with Yalinguth - an immersive audio app connecting you to important Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history of Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.

It was an incredible, and moving evening with stories, songs and reflections of the Aboriginal history and social significance of our pub. A big thank you to Yalinguth and the community of elders who joined us: Jason Tamiru, Uncle Bobby Nicholls, Uncle Gary Murray, Aunty Rieo Ellis & Uncle Bart Willoughby. They sang, they yarned, they laughed and they taught us so much about the history of our First Nations People and their connection to our pub. We couldn’t be more grateful to have spent this evening with them.

The Builders Arms Hotel was an important Aboriginal social and political gathering place from the 1940s until the 1980s. It was the first pub in Melbourne to allow Indigenous people to drink in the public bar with the other patrons; other venues forced them into a segregated ‘blacks only’ bar. Together with other hotels along and around Gertrude Street, the Builders was frequented by Aboriginal community people who were not as keen on church–run activities, and instead preferred to mix with their mob over a quiet drink. It was in such pubs that Aboriginal people mixed with the Fitzroy milieu and forged friendships with the long-term residents and post–war immigrants who also populated the area.

Many older members of Melbourne’s Aboriginal community retain fond memories of the Builders Arms Hotel which became known nationally as the ‘Black Pub of Melbourne’, the place to go and meet up with your mob, whether you were a local, or visiting from the country or interstate.