Ballardong Stargazing Under the Milky Way

Discover the “Morning Star” dance on Ballardong Country with Northam Nyoongar Ballardong storyteller, Daniel Garlett and the Dadajaal Dance Company.

Hear Aboriginal cultural stories of the night sky followed by a “Beginner’s Guide to Astronomy” and a closer look through telescopes as we travel back in time!

When:
6.15pm-6.30pm: Gather inside the Centre for a Welcome to Country + ‘Morning Star’ dance performance + ‘Introduction to Aboriginal Astronomy’ presentation by Daniel Garlett and the Dadajaal Dance Company. Daniel is a Northam Nyoongar Ballardong man with a wealth of experience and knowledge of Aboriginal astronomy and culture which he is looking forward to sharing with us.

6.30pm-6.45pm: This will be followed by a brief ‘Beginner’s Guide to Astronomy’ presentation by Mike Whait from Astrotourism WA where you’ll discover more about the wonders of the Universe.

7.00pm-8.30pm: We’ll make our way outside to the Oval (next door to the Centre) where minimal light pollution will make it easy to see the Milky Way stars above. Daniel, Riley and Astrotourism WA volunteers will be available throughout the evening to continue speaking about the night sky stories and provide a green laser pointer tour of what’s up in the night sky as people take turns at the telescopes for a closer look.

What to Bring:
BYO chairs, torches, warm clothes, fly net and insect repellent. If you have binoculars or your own telescope, bring them along. If you don’t that’s okay – there will be telescopes set up that you can share.

Bookings:
Tickets include a dinner of hot soup, bread roll and cuppa. Please book by the 27th of August by emailing events@northam.wa.gov.au. Please pay cash on the night.