Wiradjuri Traditional Owner, Neville 'Chappy' Williams, with his cousin Arinya Freeman, view the webcast of the Barrick Gold AGM. The Wiradjuri Nation has been fighting Barrick's mine on their lands for many years. Uncle Chappy travelled to the otherside of the world, from Australia to Canada, to voice his concerns at the Barrick's AGM on 2nd May, 2007.

To see an interview with Neville 'Chappy' Williams after a recent aerial flight over Barrick's mine in Lake Cowal go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCLlKvmRObw

Wiradjuri Traditional Owners, of Lake Cowal, central western New South Wales (NSW) live in various towns and cities in New South Wales, and other States of Australia. The Mooka and Kalara United Families are Traditional Owners of Lake Cowal within the Wiradjuri Nation--the largest Aboriginal nation in the State. They have a Native Title claim over the mining lease area at Lake Cowal.

The Mooka core traditional families live in Cowra, 130 kilometres east of Lake Cowal, and elsewhere in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Kalara core traditional families live in Condobolin, 80 kilometres north of the Lake Cowal gold mine and elsewhere in NSW and the ACT. The important fact is, not so much where people live now, but that these Wiradjuri people have bloodlines to Lake Cowal Country which confers on them traditional ownership. Aboriginal people have always been travellers, particularly through their own Country. The traditional Wiradjuri frequently travel and visit relatives and friends within Wiradjuri Country and visit the Lake Cowal area whenever they can.

Cowra and Condobolin are on the banks of the Lachlan River in the Lachlan River Valley, which is part of Australia�s largest river system, the Murray-Darling Basin. Lake Cowal is located in the Lachlan River Valley. The Lachlan River in the Wiradjuri language was known as �Kalara� and is a very precious water source.

Neville �Chappy� Williams



This footage was taken from Barrick Gold's AGM in Toronto, Canada�.  Peter Munk, founder and CEO of Barrick Gold is being cornered by Neville 'Chappy' Williams and activist, Ellie Gilbert who speak out and confront him directly about what the gold mining project is doing to Wiradjuri sacred land back in central western New South Wales, Australia. May 2007


More Testimonies
Wiradjuri Traditional Owner: Albert 'Sibby' Johnson
Wiradjuri Traditional Owner: Neville 'Chappy' Williams
Wiradjuri Elder: Kathleen Townley
Mooka and Kalara United Families: Mark Powell