From the Snowy Mountains to Yarra Bay

Four members of Kosciuszko Heritage – the President, Ernestyna Skurjat-Kozek, and three committee members, Ursula Lang, Andrzej Kozek and Felix Molski – attended the 80th birthday party of Aunty Rae on July 13 at the Yarra Bay Sailing Club.

Aunty Rae is one of the Elders of the Ngarigo people, the traditional custodians of Mt. Kosciuszko and the Monaro region of New South Wales. Over the years, Kosciuszko Heritage has collaborated with Aunty Rae and the other Elders, at community workshops and informal meetings. The Elders have also taken part in the Kosciuszko festivals organised by Kosciuszko Heritage, which, in turn, has taken part in NAIDOC Week celebrations in the Snowy Mountains.

Ernestyna Skurjat-Kozek recounted the party, and key moments from the celebrations, in her article on Puls Polonii:

“When the birthday girl arrived, everyone hurried to her to say hello, pass on their wishes and give gifts,” she wrote. “Meanwhile, gifts and flowers were laid on the table; Aunty Rae was seated centrally on a chair near the stage and she spoke a little of her youth, of La Perouse and of her meeting with Claude (‘my beloved love’).”

“The highlight of the festivities was the reading of wishes and the unpacking of gifts, in which the birthday girl’s grandchildren, Tanay and Dylan, bravely helped. Aunty Rae looked at the gifts, commented on them and, with what could be tried on, she then tried on. It was a joy to see how happy she was, how she joked and how she giggled. Reading someone’s wishes and message “I love you so much”, she replied: “I love me too”. Everyone burst out laughing.

“Each person offered something nice, from the heart. There were hats and scarves, a green dressing-gown, a purse and money, gift mugs and cups, drawing and rhymes from the infants, and a gold necklace (from the oldest daughter, Sharon). And what about the Poles? First of all, there was an absolutely delicious, vodka-soaked cake … a beautiful tablecloth with a set of little Cepelia tablecloths, a decorative plate with the image of the Cloth Hall in Krakow, the richly illustrated book Backpacker Grandma in Africa by Basia Meder, a wallet in the colour of the Australian soil, plastic coasters with scenes from Warsaw, a bottle of Kurpie honey and a Polish banknote with the image of Kosciuszko.”

The party also was also marked by sadness. As the guests were leaving, Matthew Stewart, Aunty Rae’s son, suffered a heart attack. Paramedics were called and he was taken to hospital, where he died a short time after arriving. Matthew’s funeral took place on July 19 at St Andrew’s Catholic Church, Malabar. Read Kosciuszko Heritage’s tribute to Matthew.

The full text of Ernestyna’s article can be read on Puls Polonii. An accompanying photo-gallery has also been published.

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