The Guardian Decmber 2, 2025 by Ella Archibald-Binge, photographs by Carly Earl
There are several words for “morning” in the Gumbaynggirr language but bambuuda is Anne-Marie Briggs’ favourite. Drawn from bamburr, meaning soft and gentle, it speaks to the quiet moments before sunrise, literally translating as “in the softness”.
“Doesn’t it just melt your heart?” says Anne-Marie, sitting at the kitchen table of the Coffs Harbour home she shares with her 12-year-old son, Darruy.
The pair have found an easy morning routine since moving to Coffs three years ago. On a bright spring day Darruy wolfs down his Weet-Bix before strolling across the road to the small independent school that has been making headlines for its unique approach to education on the New South Wales mid-north coast…
…Some hope to gain a deeper understanding of the place they call home. Others are looking to reconnect with their culture. Most say they drive home elated.
Jarrett is not simply teaching people words, he says. He is showing them the hidden stories in the stars; singing the creation stories of sacred waterholes.
“It’s giving the Gumbyanggirr people back an identity,” Jarrett says. “This is who we are.”
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