Welcome to Wagga Wagga in Wiradjuri Country. Our respect to Wiradjuri Elders, past and present. With this welcome, we ask that you all respect the law of the country. Look after the land and the rivers, then the land and the rivers will look after you all. Hold fast to each other, empower the people, look after everything living and growing. It is wonderful to see our footprints side by side in the soil on Wiradjuri land. This indicates that people are walking and talking together. So let’s work together to make everything good for our people. We Wiradjuri people welcome you all to Wiradjuri Country. Respect and honour all people and all parts of the country. Give honour, be polite and patient with all then the people will respect you.
– Wiradjuri welcome used with permission from Uncle Stan Grant Snr.
Gayle was Indigenous Editor/Writer at Streetwize Comics from 1995 to 1998. Her poetry collection Koori Girl Goes Shoppin was shortlisted for the David Unaipon Award, an award Gayle won in 2006 with her short story anthologyMe, Antman & Fleabag which was also shortlisted for a Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and a Deadly Award and commended for the Kate Challis RAKA Award. Gayle has published 11 novels, has presented at numerous writers festivals and NAIDOC events, and has spoken nationally and internationally on her experience with polio and disability in general. Gayle’s work has been published in Puffin, Currency, Ora Nui, Edinburgh Review anthologies, Southerly Magazine and Verity La, amongst others.