Walking with Aunty Maxine Ryan is a field guide to La Perouse told through the perspective of Dharawal Elder, artist, and educator Aunty Maxine Ryan. Commissioned by La Perouse Museum and Randwick City Council, and developed in close consultation with Aunty Maxine and the Museum team, the publication weaves together cultural knowledge, personal reflection, and historical and ecological narratives.

 

The guide celebrates La Perouse as a place of continuous Aboriginal connection and cultural strength. It reflects on moments of first contact between First Nations Australians and the British, the establishment of one of the earliest missions, and the ongoing entanglements of community life, industry, and environment.

 

Drawing on Aunty Maxine’s passions and family history, the publication highlights the intergenerational practice of shellwork carried by La Perouse women, including her mother, Lola Delia Ryan. This practice is framed within broader narratives of survival, resilience, and creativity, underscoring the strength and continuity of culture across generations.

 

Functioning as both a standalone resource and a companion to Aunty Maxine’s cultural walking tours, the guide invites readers to see La Perouse through the lived connections and care that continue to shape it today.

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This project was made possible through the generous storytelling of aunty Maxine Ryan and the La Perouse Museum. 

 

Grab your own copy from the La Perouse Museum.

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To book Aunty Maxine Ryan’s Aboriginal Shell Art Workshop and Aboriginal-focused Walk and Talk, please contact: lpm@randwick.nsw.gov.au.