September 30, 2024 • 21 mins
Looking for something deadly, for you and your jarjum, to dive into this school holidays? I had the absolute honour of chatting with the brilliant 10-year-old Penelope Towney—proud Wiradjuri and Palawa girl, YouTube star, and future media and presenter mogul. Penelope shared her passion for her Indigenous cultures, her languages, and their knowledges she has learnt from her family along the way.
We talked about her hit YouTube channel, Towney Time, where she makes learning fun and accessible, from Aboriginal science to Aboriginal culture. Plus, she gave me the scoop on her groundbreaking short film The Land We're On, which she created when she was just seven! We even got into her love for Dolly Parton, David Bowie, and the dream of one day featuring Dolly on Towney Time.
Penelope’s vision? To be in a Disney film that authentically represents Indigenous cultures—and she's got the drive to make it happen. This yarn will leave you inspired and ready to make the most of life, no matter your age.
Check out Penelope’s YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@towneytime
Follow Caroline on Instagram @blak_wattle_coaching and learn more about working with Caroline here!
We would like to acknowledge Aboriginal people as Australia’s First Peoples’ who have never ceded their sovereignty. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung people of the Kulin Nation where the podcast was taped. We pay our deepest respects to Traditional Owners across Australia and Elders past, present and emerging.
This podcast was brought to you by On Track Studio.
For advertising opportunities please email hello@ontrackstudio.com.au
This podcast was brought to you by On Track Studio.
For advertising opportunities please email hello@ontrackstudio.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Podcast Unite Our Voices. This podcast is brought to you
by on Track Studio. Welcome to Yannier, the podcast that
showcases First Nations stories and conversations to help us learn
(00:24):
and unlearn Australia's history to work towards a better future.
I'm your host, proud barber woman and founder of Black
Waddel Coaching and Consulting, Caroline cow We acknowledge the Rundery
people and elders where this podcast is taped, but we
(00:46):
also acknowledge the lands that you are listening in from today.
It always was and always will be unseated Aboriginal and
tourist Red Islander Land. Well, out of all my guests
on this show, I think today is going to be
my most special conversation. Today. I am joined by Penelope
(01:12):
Tawny Rorajeri and Palua girl, young warrior who is bringing
your passion for culture and your people and language to
the world. So I'd like to start Penelope by getting
you to introduce yourself. However you would like to be
introduced little sis Hui.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You do, Penelope Towny, bald Maa Mada Giradi, Badu, Rajeri Paloa.
I'm named Adelbie TOWNI I am ten and I'm proud
to be RADERI and Poloa. I have a central beda
dragon named Gidangle. I have a Southern beater dragon called Lizzo.
(02:00):
I have a dog, a red cattle dog named Zicki,
and a ferret named Noodle.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
That is so cool. You've got a whole household of
beautiful animals there. I must say, Penelope, I am a
huge fan of your work, and so it's such a
special privilege today to meet you and to have you
on the show. I also understand that one of your
(02:26):
very big, big dreams in life is to meet Dolly
Parton and to have her feature on your YouTube channel,
which I'm a huge fan of your show Town any time.
I'm wondering if you could tell me a little bit
more about that dream and what you and Dolly Parton
would get up to, so I would.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Love Dolly Parton on time to times like an interview.
I first found out about Dolly part when I was
like two or three years old and I was at
a playgroup, and no, they were like handing out books
and the books were from all of them from Dolly's
Imagination Library and Dolly's Imagination Library is like a program
(03:09):
that she has that gives out books to like children
all around the world to get them like a good
education and like make sure they can like read like well,
because her father couldn't read and she grew up in poverty,
which is also a big inspiration because yeah, she grew
up in like poverty, and like she has been like
(03:30):
if you google, like, if you google who is the
best female singer the first couple of things like in
like I think it's like the third thing that it
comes up with. It's like it's one of the first things.
Like she is, she's famous. Its like being in the
film industry for so long. She's like an amazing actor,
(03:50):
amazing fashion amazing like singer, Like yeah, just a massation
And I would love for it to be at Dollywood,
which is like a theme sort of thing that she has.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I love that. How cool And you're right, Dolly Parton
is a fashionista and she just embodies this big, larger
than life personality, doesn't she She's just so cool and
she is a wonderful singer. Do you have a favorite
Dolly Parton's song or is it hard to choose?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I feel like I quite like tudors down.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Oh very nice. I must say, Penelope, I am a
huge fan of your show Tawny Time. I mean you
and your knowledge has taught me a lot about your language,
Baderi language and your Pala Wakhan language. So thank you
for the gift of teaching us your knowledges and your passions.
(04:55):
I wonder what you and Dolly would get up to
if she was to come on to your show Tawny Time.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Probably just like an interview, like just like this.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, how wonderful. And she's an inspiration because she teaches
us that really anything's possible, right. I also have I
have an inkling. I understand that it's one of your
big dreams to be involved in a Disney film, and
in fact, I must say that is how I first,
(05:25):
I guess, stumbled across who you are and what you're
bringing into this world through your film The Land We're On,
and I've watched it a million times, I must say,
every single time I watch it, I have a beautiful
feeling listening to you speak your languages and to see
(05:45):
how proud you are of your culture and who you are.
So yeah, I wonder if you could maybe ye share
with me a little bit around that dream of having
a Disney film with young indigenous people doing deadly things,
like you, what would it look like.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I have this book. It's from the seventies. It's a
Disney book and it's about different like cultures from around
the world, and it's like it talks like amazing way
about all the other cultures. And then when it gets
like first Nations people like from this continent, it's like
it says that they're like stone age people. In the
(06:24):
past couple of decades they've been making more like films
like sort of they've been going around the world making
films like of like different cultures from around the world,
like such as like Encanto and like Coco and like Mowana.
So I feel like it would be like the perfect
time to make a Disney film that like really like
(06:47):
like not only apolog but like makes up for what
it says like in that book as well. And because
also we are like the oldest like continuing culture in
the world.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Isn't that right? And it's something so beautiful and lucky
that we're part of this amazing club of this old
knowledges and languages. And you're right, we are seeing Disney
Doo movies like Mowana, which is the favorite of ours.
Here we all sing the songs in our car with
our nieces and nephews. How special would that be to
(07:21):
have one with our mob in there too? And people
just like you have? You got an absolute favorite Disney
movie of all time? If you absolutely had to say.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
That is very hot. Just love the like visual effects
in Rapons like I love delighting and everything in Raponzo.
It's called Tangled, not Rapunzel, but yeah, I just love
all the lighting and how like bright all the colors
are Entangled Lizard reminds me of Godugle and Lizzo the Chameleon.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yes, absolutely right, Oh how special? How special? I want
to ask you about your show tow any time, And
I also, as I say, I want to thank you
because it's through your shows that I've learned about Donnawan
the EMU in the Sky job.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Are you well?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I'm now p Towny and you're watching County Time. I'm
here at the Science Space with my friend Kirsten, a
Broadery astrophysicist Wall.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
We couldn't make it.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Out to Bridery Country to fill the episode of any Time,
but the Science Space as planetarium could take us virtually anywhere,
virtually a baradery country, anywhere in the universe and even out.
That technology is pretty mind going to me. My dad's dad,
my pop, Dumba Graham TOWNI. He just passed away recently.
(08:50):
He was very clever. He showed me the dinner IMU
in the sky and want it moved throughout the year,
and how you'd know the differences between what it was
doing reading lasting.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You know, it's through your show that I learned about
the awe fish, which I did not know, and you
also taught us about the eels. Vinny boy, I believe
it was how cool. I mean, I I'm a really
big fan of your your YouTube channel, and I think
(09:23):
what you're doing is incredible. I mean, what's your what
do you what do you enjoy about Towny Time? What
does it mean for you?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I love Towny Time. I can like have a whole
little sort of world, little portfolio sort of thing like
my channel. And I just love making the videos. I
love doing the research for the videos. I just love
the videos. The videos are amazing. Just subscribe to Towny
It's like Towny Times like education, but it's like fun education.
(09:56):
Let's be honest. Most people when somebody says get educated,
like most people think that like learning is boring, but
it's not. And Towny Time is like proving that learning
is not boring and that learning learning is good and
education is like fun and on Towny Times is like
(10:19):
science and culture and like there will be art and
like stories and there's three episodes so far. So make
sure to subscribe to Towny Time.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yes, everyone listening, you know, get out your phones and
go on and watch Towny Time. Subscribe and share because
you're right. I think this is the thing I really
enjoy about Towny Time is it is informative. I've learned
so much, and it's funny, and it's it's a way
to share our culture and to be really proud of
(10:53):
our sciences. Like you say, we're old scientists, and I
know that science is an interest of yours. I believe.
So you're sharing that knowledge and science with the world world.
So thank you, so so much.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yes, so make sure to subscribe to Towny Time. Like,
but not if you're driving, If you're driving right or
listening to this, get to your destination and just remember
Tawny Time. And when you get to your destination, subscribe
to Towny.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Time exactly right. You don't do it if you're driving,
absolutely safety first, making sure that all of our listeners
are safe. As I mentioned, I've learned a lot about
language and culture and science. You're talking about science in
a really cool way, almost like people from like Deadly Science,
like Corey Tutt and people like those people. You're you're
(11:45):
creating that. What's your vision for Tawny Time.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
My vision for Towny Time is, yeah, just like an
education place that's like really fun as well, because as
a student that goes to a school, it's like hard
when you're studying. Sometimes a lot of the time either
you can't find but you're on research, or you do
(12:11):
find something and it's like like a YouTube video or
something and it's just like pretty boring. So Tony Haye
is like fun education, Like it's something that you'll want
to go home and you will like enjoy watching it
when you get you will like want to watch it
in your spare time if anything. Like it's it's fun,
(12:34):
it's fun education. I have three episodes and I will
plan to make many, many, many more until the day
that I'd stop making episodes.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, I love it making education fun. It's so so
beautiful and you do that so so well, and I'm
not sure you realize how much you're educating people on
the beauty and richness of Aboriginal cultures. So thank you,
You're welcome, will be back you mob right after this
(13:17):
short break. I guess with that. Penelope, you know you
are considered one of Australia's youngest First Nations filmmakers. You
(13:38):
produced your own film The Land Went On when you
were just seven. So how many years ago would that
have been? Maybe now like three years? Three years? And
your film The Land Went On it screened on SBS.
I actually saw it on NITV a few years back,
(13:59):
and I also saw you on Channel ten, which is amazing.
And the way that you speak in your beautiful languages
and talk about the importance or the backstory about why
we do or don't do acknowledgments of country. But what
was that process like for you making that film? What
(14:20):
did you feel when you made it?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
I practiced most days for like three months. I practiced
like on most days. By most days, it sounds like
I missed. I'm just I missed most of them. And
I'm just trying to say that, like I practiced most days,
but I practiced. I probably missed like three days because
I was like feeling really tired. And then I made
(14:43):
the film and it was just so surreal turning my
television on and I was on the television. I was
on SBS, and I switched to the channel to NV
and then channel ten and they were all my face
talking to me, all like in sync, and it was
just so like surreal, and it made me so happy
that all of my heart work, finally it is worth it.
(15:08):
It just made me so happy and proud.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Wow, you should be proud and you should be happy
all of that hard work, all that dedication, all of
that passion, and all of the gift that you gave us,
all because young people like you give people who a
little bit older, the quiet artie girl, permission to reimagine
(15:33):
the world and you give us strength. So thank you.
You should be very very proud of what you achieved.
Amazing work to practice and dedicate to that. Thank you,
no worries, thank you. I wonder you know, Penelope, do
you have, I guess, any any words or any encouragement
(15:55):
for other Aboriginal young people out there like you who
are trying to make this world a bit better and
blacker and brighter.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I'm not the biggest fan of like quoting people because
it makes me feel like uniginal. But my favorite singer
of all time of everything, there's a poster right there
is David Bowie, and David Bowie has my favorite quote
of all time. And I love the quote, and it's
(16:26):
all people, no matter who they are, they all wish
that they enjoyed life more and that it's what you
do in life that's important and not like how much
time you have or what you wish you'd done. Yeah,
you should never like waste like any You should never
just like be one hundred percent unproductive for a day
(16:46):
because life is like it's precious. Okay, it sounds dark,
but you're going to die one day, so you you
you do what you want to do. Okay, You're gonna
do what you want to do.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
What beautiful and important advice that life is for living
at all, isn't it? And soaking up all the wonder
and joy?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
That's more I was trying to say.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
So yeah, yeah, wow, David Bowie is a bit of
an icon, isn't he. Yeah, you know, I read something
about David Bowie I didn't know this, but he has
obviously one blue eye and one green eye. But I
thought that that was a fake thing. It's actually his eyes.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yes, that is what a lot of things say, but
he actually has Like a lot of things say that
he has one blow eye and one green eye. But actually,
when he was like fourteen or something, he got like
punched in the eye and a fight with his friend
and it made one of his pupils bigger to make
it look like one of his eyes are blue and
one of the eyes like darker. But actually it's just
(17:59):
that one of his pupils bigger. I think it's like
an scoria or something. Yeah, that's actually happened, and a
lot of people don't know that as well.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Wow, I didn't know that. That's a fantastic fact for
me to know. I might put that in my trivia pile.
Thank you for sharing that. How cool? Do you have
a favorite song of David Bowies as well?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
My favorite David Bowie song like changes basically every single day.
Like I wake up one morning and I'm like, you know,
I'm probably gonna play this song and that is my
favorite song for the rest of the day. But I
feel like if I could choose one song, even though
it's like his most popular song and sounds so basic.
But like, if I could choose one song, one Dave
bo song for the rest of like eternity, I would
(18:42):
choose Starman.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
That is a great song. My I think mine sounds
very unoriginal too. To quote your words, mine might be
a little cliche. But I might have two favorites of his.
Both of them are maybe the cliche vers. But I
love Let's Dance because that's just always so fun to
move around and every time it just brings jaw. And
(19:05):
also I love under Pressure because I feel like life
is about dancing through pressure at times, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I have a record player and records, and Letsan's was
the first record I ever got. It's just over there.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Wow, that is so cool.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
It's just on the side of my room right now
as we speak.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Wow. You have such a wonderful taste in music for
a young person. That is very inspiring. My first album
that I ever got. I'm not sure you might know
this person. It wouldn't surprise me. Was Mariah Carey wasn't
as cool as David Bowie. I'll tell you that. Can
I ask maybe one more question and you can choose
(19:46):
to answer if you if not, But I just wanted
to know who inspired you to learn your languages? How
did you learn Uradjuri? And is it paala wakani? Is
that how you say it?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah, my family really, like my family inspired me learn
my languages and my culture and just all of the
above culture, like my heritage, my family.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
You know, it's very special. You know, I'm a barbarm person.
I'm from far north Queensland. I'm if you were to
get that big, big map with all the mobs, I'm
a tiny, tiny one up right up north. And unfortunately
we don't have any words left. It's all gone, and
so we really look to the leadership of the Badriu
(20:34):
people and other nations like you. And yeah, it's just
very special to hear you speak in language. So we're
really proud of you and all that you're doing in
sharing culture with the world. So thank you again, thank you.
Oh it's been such a wonderful privilege to get to
meet you today. And I have no doubt that you're
(20:56):
going to continue to just do whatever it is that
you know brings you joy and wonder and no doubt
we'll see you on our screens with Towny Time and Disney.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Thank you, Mom, Dangle, thank you, Bye.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
See your Penelope. Thank you so much for listening, you mob.
If you are vibing this season and yawning up, then
please head over to Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get
your podcasts from to show us some love, rate and review. Alternatively,
you can get in contact and give us some feedback
(21:33):
by visiting www. Dot Carolinecow dot com dot au
Podcast Unite Our Voices. This podcast is brought to you
by on Track Studio. Welcome to Yannier, the podcast that
showcases First Nations stories and conversations to help us learn
(00:24):
and unlearn Australia's history to work towards a better future.
I'm your host, proud barber woman and founder of Black
Waddel Coaching and Consulting, Caroline cow We acknowledge the Rundery
people and elders where this podcast is taped, but we
(00:46):
also acknowledge the lands that you are listening in from today.
It always was and always will be unseated Aboriginal and
tourist Red Islander Land. Well, out of all my guests
on this show, I think today is going to be
my most special conversation. Today. I am joined by Penelope
(01:12):
Tawny Rorajeri and Palua girl, young warrior who is bringing
your passion for culture and your people and language to
the world. So I'd like to start Penelope by getting
you to introduce yourself. However you would like to be
introduced little sis Hui.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You do, Penelope Towny, bald Maa Mada Giradi, Badu, Rajeri Paloa.
I'm named Adelbie TOWNI I am ten and I'm proud
to be RADERI and Poloa. I have a central beda
dragon named Gidangle. I have a Southern beater dragon called Lizzo.
(02:00):
I have a dog, a red cattle dog named Zicki,
and a ferret named Noodle.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
That is so cool. You've got a whole household of
beautiful animals there. I must say, Penelope, I am a
huge fan of your work, and so it's such a
special privilege today to meet you and to have you
on the show. I also understand that one of your
(02:26):
very big, big dreams in life is to meet Dolly
Parton and to have her feature on your YouTube channel,
which I'm a huge fan of your show Town any time.
I'm wondering if you could tell me a little bit
more about that dream and what you and Dolly Parton
would get up to, so I would.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Love Dolly Parton on time to times like an interview.
I first found out about Dolly part when I was
like two or three years old and I was at
a playgroup, and no, they were like handing out books
and the books were from all of them from Dolly's
Imagination Library and Dolly's Imagination Library is like a program
(03:09):
that she has that gives out books to like children
all around the world to get them like a good
education and like make sure they can like read like well,
because her father couldn't read and she grew up in poverty,
which is also a big inspiration because yeah, she grew
up in like poverty, and like she has been like
(03:30):
if you google, like, if you google who is the
best female singer the first couple of things like in
like I think it's like the third thing that it
comes up with. It's like it's one of the first things.
Like she is, she's famous. Its like being in the
film industry for so long. She's like an amazing actor,
(03:50):
amazing fashion amazing like singer, Like yeah, just a massation
And I would love for it to be at Dollywood,
which is like a theme sort of thing that she has.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I love that. How cool And you're right, Dolly Parton
is a fashionista and she just embodies this big, larger
than life personality, doesn't she She's just so cool and
she is a wonderful singer. Do you have a favorite
Dolly Parton's song or is it hard to choose?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I feel like I quite like tudors down.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Oh very nice. I must say, Penelope, I am a
huge fan of your show Tawny Time. I mean you
and your knowledge has taught me a lot about your language,
Baderi language and your Pala Wakhan language. So thank you
for the gift of teaching us your knowledges and your passions.
(04:55):
I wonder what you and Dolly would get up to
if she was to come on to your show Tawny Time.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Probably just like an interview, like just like this.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, how wonderful. And she's an inspiration because she teaches
us that really anything's possible, right. I also have I
have an inkling. I understand that it's one of your
big dreams to be involved in a Disney film, and
in fact, I must say that is how I first,
(05:25):
I guess, stumbled across who you are and what you're
bringing into this world through your film The Land We're On,
and I've watched it a million times, I must say,
every single time I watch it, I have a beautiful
feeling listening to you speak your languages and to see
(05:45):
how proud you are of your culture and who you are.
So yeah, I wonder if you could maybe ye share
with me a little bit around that dream of having
a Disney film with young indigenous people doing deadly things,
like you, what would it look like.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I have this book. It's from the seventies. It's a
Disney book and it's about different like cultures from around
the world, and it's like it talks like amazing way
about all the other cultures. And then when it gets
like first Nations people like from this continent, it's like
it says that they're like stone age people. In the
(06:24):
past couple of decades they've been making more like films
like sort of they've been going around the world making
films like of like different cultures from around the world,
like such as like Encanto and like Coco and like Mowana.
So I feel like it would be like the perfect
time to make a Disney film that like really like
(06:47):
like not only apolog but like makes up for what
it says like in that book as well. And because
also we are like the oldest like continuing culture in
the world.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Isn't that right? And it's something so beautiful and lucky
that we're part of this amazing club of this old
knowledges and languages. And you're right, we are seeing Disney
Doo movies like Mowana, which is the favorite of ours.
Here we all sing the songs in our car with
our nieces and nephews. How special would that be to
(07:21):
have one with our mob in there too? And people
just like you have? You got an absolute favorite Disney
movie of all time? If you absolutely had to say.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
That is very hot. Just love the like visual effects
in Rapons like I love delighting and everything in Raponzo.
It's called Tangled, not Rapunzel, but yeah, I just love
all the lighting and how like bright all the colors
are Entangled Lizard reminds me of Godugle and Lizzo the Chameleon.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yes, absolutely right, Oh how special? How special? I want
to ask you about your show tow any time, And
I also, as I say, I want to thank you
because it's through your shows that I've learned about Donnawan
the EMU in the Sky job.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Are you well?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I'm now p Towny and you're watching County Time. I'm
here at the Science Space with my friend Kirsten, a
Broadery astrophysicist Wall.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
We couldn't make it.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Out to Bridery Country to fill the episode of any Time,
but the Science Space as planetarium could take us virtually anywhere,
virtually a baradery country, anywhere in the universe and even out.
That technology is pretty mind going to me. My dad's dad,
my pop, Dumba Graham TOWNI. He just passed away recently.
(08:50):
He was very clever. He showed me the dinner IMU
in the sky and want it moved throughout the year,
and how you'd know the differences between what it was
doing reading lasting.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You know, it's through your show that I learned about
the awe fish, which I did not know, and you
also taught us about the eels. Vinny boy, I believe
it was how cool. I mean, I I'm a really
big fan of your your YouTube channel, and I think
(09:23):
what you're doing is incredible. I mean, what's your what
do you what do you enjoy about Towny Time? What
does it mean for you?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I love Towny Time. I can like have a whole
little sort of world, little portfolio sort of thing like
my channel. And I just love making the videos. I
love doing the research for the videos. I just love
the videos. The videos are amazing. Just subscribe to Towny
It's like Towny Times like education, but it's like fun education.
(09:56):
Let's be honest. Most people when somebody says get educated,
like most people think that like learning is boring, but
it's not. And Towny Time is like proving that learning
is not boring and that learning learning is good and
education is like fun and on Towny Times is like
(10:19):
science and culture and like there will be art and
like stories and there's three episodes so far. So make
sure to subscribe to Towny Time.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yes, everyone listening, you know, get out your phones and
go on and watch Towny Time. Subscribe and share because
you're right. I think this is the thing I really
enjoy about Towny Time is it is informative. I've learned
so much, and it's funny, and it's it's a way
to share our culture and to be really proud of
(10:53):
our sciences. Like you say, we're old scientists, and I
know that science is an interest of yours. I believe.
So you're sharing that knowledge and science with the world world.
So thank you, so so much.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yes, so make sure to subscribe to Towny Time. Like,
but not if you're driving, If you're driving right or
listening to this, get to your destination and just remember
Tawny Time. And when you get to your destination, subscribe
to Towny.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Time exactly right. You don't do it if you're driving,
absolutely safety first, making sure that all of our listeners
are safe. As I mentioned, I've learned a lot about
language and culture and science. You're talking about science in
a really cool way, almost like people from like Deadly Science,
like Corey Tutt and people like those people. You're you're
(11:45):
creating that. What's your vision for Tawny Time.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
My vision for Towny Time is, yeah, just like an
education place that's like really fun as well, because as
a student that goes to a school, it's like hard
when you're studying. Sometimes a lot of the time either
you can't find but you're on research, or you do
(12:11):
find something and it's like like a YouTube video or
something and it's just like pretty boring. So Tony Haye
is like fun education, Like it's something that you'll want
to go home and you will like enjoy watching it
when you get you will like want to watch it
in your spare time if anything. Like it's it's fun,
(12:34):
it's fun education. I have three episodes and I will
plan to make many, many, many more until the day
that I'd stop making episodes.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, I love it making education fun. It's so so
beautiful and you do that so so well, and I'm
not sure you realize how much you're educating people on
the beauty and richness of Aboriginal cultures. So thank you,
You're welcome, will be back you mob right after this
(13:17):
short break. I guess with that. Penelope, you know you
are considered one of Australia's youngest First Nations filmmakers. You
(13:38):
produced your own film The Land Went On when you
were just seven. So how many years ago would that
have been? Maybe now like three years? Three years? And
your film The Land Went On it screened on SBS.
I actually saw it on NITV a few years back,
(13:59):
and I also saw you on Channel ten, which is amazing.
And the way that you speak in your beautiful languages
and talk about the importance or the backstory about why
we do or don't do acknowledgments of country. But what
was that process like for you making that film? What
(14:20):
did you feel when you made it?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
I practiced most days for like three months. I practiced
like on most days. By most days, it sounds like
I missed. I'm just I missed most of them. And
I'm just trying to say that, like I practiced most days,
but I practiced. I probably missed like three days because
I was like feeling really tired. And then I made
(14:43):
the film and it was just so surreal turning my
television on and I was on the television. I was
on SBS, and I switched to the channel to NV
and then channel ten and they were all my face
talking to me, all like in sync, and it was
just so like surreal, and it made me so happy
that all of my heart work, finally it is worth it.
(15:08):
It just made me so happy and proud.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Wow, you should be proud and you should be happy
all of that hard work, all that dedication, all of
that passion, and all of the gift that you gave us,
all because young people like you give people who a
little bit older, the quiet artie girl, permission to reimagine
(15:33):
the world and you give us strength. So thank you.
You should be very very proud of what you achieved.
Amazing work to practice and dedicate to that. Thank you,
no worries, thank you. I wonder you know, Penelope, do
you have, I guess, any any words or any encouragement
(15:55):
for other Aboriginal young people out there like you who
are trying to make this world a bit better and
blacker and brighter.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I'm not the biggest fan of like quoting people because
it makes me feel like uniginal. But my favorite singer
of all time of everything, there's a poster right there
is David Bowie, and David Bowie has my favorite quote
of all time. And I love the quote, and it's
(16:26):
all people, no matter who they are, they all wish
that they enjoyed life more and that it's what you
do in life that's important and not like how much
time you have or what you wish you'd done. Yeah,
you should never like waste like any You should never
just like be one hundred percent unproductive for a day
(16:46):
because life is like it's precious. Okay, it sounds dark,
but you're going to die one day, so you you
you do what you want to do. Okay, You're gonna
do what you want to do.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
What beautiful and important advice that life is for living
at all, isn't it? And soaking up all the wonder
and joy?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
That's more I was trying to say.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
So yeah, yeah, wow, David Bowie is a bit of
an icon, isn't he. Yeah, you know, I read something
about David Bowie I didn't know this, but he has
obviously one blue eye and one green eye. But I
thought that that was a fake thing. It's actually his eyes.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yes, that is what a lot of things say, but
he actually has Like a lot of things say that
he has one blow eye and one green eye. But actually,
when he was like fourteen or something, he got like
punched in the eye and a fight with his friend
and it made one of his pupils bigger to make
it look like one of his eyes are blue and
one of the eyes like darker. But actually it's just
(17:59):
that one of his pupils bigger. I think it's like
an scoria or something. Yeah, that's actually happened, and a
lot of people don't know that as well.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Wow, I didn't know that. That's a fantastic fact for
me to know. I might put that in my trivia pile.
Thank you for sharing that. How cool? Do you have
a favorite song of David Bowies as well?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
My favorite David Bowie song like changes basically every single day.
Like I wake up one morning and I'm like, you know,
I'm probably gonna play this song and that is my
favorite song for the rest of the day. But I
feel like if I could choose one song, even though
it's like his most popular song and sounds so basic.
But like, if I could choose one song, one Dave
bo song for the rest of like eternity, I would
(18:42):
choose Starman.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
That is a great song. My I think mine sounds
very unoriginal too. To quote your words, mine might be
a little cliche. But I might have two favorites of his.
Both of them are maybe the cliche vers. But I
love Let's Dance because that's just always so fun to
move around and every time it just brings jaw. And
(19:05):
also I love under Pressure because I feel like life
is about dancing through pressure at times, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I have a record player and records, and Letsan's was
the first record I ever got. It's just over there.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Wow, that is so cool.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
It's just on the side of my room right now
as we speak.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Wow. You have such a wonderful taste in music for
a young person. That is very inspiring. My first album
that I ever got. I'm not sure you might know
this person. It wouldn't surprise me. Was Mariah Carey wasn't
as cool as David Bowie. I'll tell you that. Can
I ask maybe one more question and you can choose
(19:46):
to answer if you if not, But I just wanted
to know who inspired you to learn your languages? How
did you learn Uradjuri? And is it paala wakani? Is
that how you say it?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah, my family really, like my family inspired me learn
my languages and my culture and just all of the
above culture, like my heritage, my family.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
You know, it's very special. You know, I'm a barbarm person.
I'm from far north Queensland. I'm if you were to
get that big, big map with all the mobs, I'm
a tiny, tiny one up right up north. And unfortunately
we don't have any words left. It's all gone, and
so we really look to the leadership of the Badriu
(20:34):
people and other nations like you. And yeah, it's just
very special to hear you speak in language. So we're
really proud of you and all that you're doing in
sharing culture with the world. So thank you again, thank you.
Oh it's been such a wonderful privilege to get to
meet you today. And I have no doubt that you're
(20:56):
going to continue to just do whatever it is that
you know brings you joy and wonder and no doubt
we'll see you on our screens with Towny Time and Disney.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Thank you, Mom, Dangle, thank you, Bye.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
See your Penelope. Thank you so much for listening, you mob.
If you are vibing this season and yawning up, then
please head over to Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get
your podcasts from to show us some love, rate and review. Alternatively,
you can get in contact and give us some feedback
(21:33):
by visiting www. Dot Carolinecow dot com dot au
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