Six Peaks Speak 8

It’s been a long haul. The Six Peaks Speak: Unsettling legacies in southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country book manuscript, currently 132,000 words, 334 pages has today (18 April 2024) been sent to the publishers, Common Ground Research Networks in Illinois, US. Getting all the ducks lined up: text, maps, images, references has been a huge job in recent months, made so much more enjoyable with the skills, expertise and contributions of Clive Willman, assisted in the editing process by Elizabeth Eager. The many other people who generously assisted are acknowledged in the book.

I acknowledge the invaluable support provided by my 2023 State Library Victoria Creative Regional Fellowship. I said goodbye to my delightful office under the SLV Dome on 28 March, soon to be occupied by a new, 2024 Fellow.

Our book manuscript now goes for review, then revisions and copy editing with publication likely approximately October 2024. A formal launch is planned in early December on Country, along with a series of Great Dividing Trail walks and local community presentations specific to each mountain (currently called Kooroocheang, Beckworth, Greenock, Tarrengower, Alexander and Franklin) in the lead in to International Mountain Day in 11 December. I’ll post here again when we have firm details about book publication, cost and availability. Please send me a message if you want to be placed on a list. I can then let you know when the book is available and options for buying a copy.

I acknowledge the strong and generous support for this research and writing project on Country from the Dja Dja Wurrung traditional owners of the six mountains, working through Rodney Carter, Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO. DJAARA have agreed to be a partner in promoting International Mountain Day on Country in 2024 in collaboration with Outdoors Victoria, Great Dividing Trail Association and Federation University.

Author: barrygoanna

Honorary Professor, Federation University Australia: researcher in men's learning through community contexts, author of 'Men learning through life' 2014) book (NIACE, UK), 'The Men's Shed Movement: The Company of Men' (2015) & 'Shoulder to Shoulder: Broadening the Men's Shed Movement' (2021) books, both published Common Ground Publishing, US. View all posts by barrygoanna