Araluen Arts Centre: 
Yurlu Country
A vivid ode to Country and an intimate portrait of an Aboriginal elder’s final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland, scarred by the largest contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.
Banjima Elder, Maitland Parker, calls his Yurlu (homelands) “Poison Country” – a haunting, toxic truth etched into his body. Set against the breathtaking yet contaminated landscapes of Western Australia’s Pilbara region, YURLU | COUNTRY lays bare the devastating impact of the Wittenoom asbestos mines, where millions of tonnes of waste laced with deadly asbestos fibres have poisoned both land and people. It’s Australia’s largely unknown Chernobyl-scale disaster and it’s on Banjima lands.
As Maitland battles mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure, his resolve to fight for his homeland and future generations only strengthens. Through striking cinematography and deeply personal storytelling, the film stands as a testament to the resilience of Banjima and their unbreakable bond with Country. Maitland and his family’s fight for justice, cultural survival, and environmental restoration will inspire, enrage, and catalyse.
This is Maitland’s legacy. YURLU | COUNTRY will honour and immortalise it.
Gallery
Image 1: Banjima_Elder_Maitland Parker_at_Wittenoom _Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 2: Maitland_Parker_and_his_wife_Margie _Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 3: Mt_Bruce_Punurrunha_Karijini__National Park_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 4: Senior_Banjima_Elders_Trevor_and _Maitland Parker_at_Peedamulla_ Station_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 5: Wittenoom_is_the_largest_ contaminated_site_in_the_Southern_ Hemisphere_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 6: Dancers_prepare_for_a_Barlgabi_at_ the_Karijini_Experience_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 7: Maitland Parker_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 8: Maitland_Parker_walks_through_the_ ghost_town_of_Wittenoom_now_ literally_wiped_off_the_map_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 9: Mine_Shaft_at_Wittenoom_WA_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 10: Oxers_Lookout_Karijini_National_Park _Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 11: Karijini_National_Park_at_sunset_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 12: Like_a_cancer_on_the_landscape_more_than_three_million_tonnes_of_waste_laced_with_asbestos_contaminates_Banjima_Country_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 13: Maitland_Parker_and _Trevor_Parker_grew_up_on_stations_in_the_Pilbara_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 14: Maitland_Parker_receives_news_about_his_ mesothelioma_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 15: Margie_and_her_daughters_Coreen_Carmel_and_Renira_Parker_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 16: Marjorie Hughes_collects_bush_medicine_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 17: Parker_family_prepares_damper_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 18: The_film_shows_Wittenoom_Town_in_the_process_of_being_buried_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 19: The_mineral-rich_Pilbara_region_ supplies_most_of_the_worlds_iron_ore_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 20: The_next_generation_motivates_Maitland_to_clean_up_his_homelands_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Image 21: Trevor_Parker_Yurlu Country_Illuminate Films
Dates
Times
7pm
Duration
1 hour, 18 minutes
Interval
None
Prices
Adult
$17.00
Concession
$14.00
Araluen Member
$14.00
Araluen Concession Member
$11.00
Genre
Location
Extra information
Online ticketing is available up until one hour prior to the performance.
For ticket purchases after this time, please visit the Araluen Box Office or call us on (08) 8951 1122.
Accessibility
Rating
Booking Fee
For this event, a one-off service fee of $2.50 per transaction applies on all purchases online. All ticket prices include GST.
