Indigenous Community Volunteers

Providing plumbing, so one of Australia’s film legends can enjoy a hot shower in remote Australia, is just one of the experiences of an Indigenous Community Volunteer (ICV).

Retired plumber Bob Bowen from the NSW Central Coast found himself in the good books of actor Jack Thompson while working with the Yolgnu people on an ICV project to set up the plumbing at this year’s Garma Festival in the Northern Territory’s north-east Arnhem Land.

The Yolgnu apprentices constructed bush showers with Bob installing pipes, taps and shower heads which require refurbishing each year in preparation for the annual festival which began in 1999.

With the toilets and showers up and running, Bob who had been working with the community two weeks before the festival’s start bumped into Jack Thompson who was heading to the showers of which the bulk had cold water coming from them.

Bob pointed out to Thompson that the sun beat down on the pipes feeding one particular shower therefore providing it with a steady stream of hot water. This earned him eternal gratitude from the actor.

However Bob’s “brush with fame” wasn’t the main experience during his first ICV project.

What has stuck in his mind is “Respect for the Yolgnu people and their culture and how much they value ‘country’ and family…It was such a good experience to be with them, seeing the culture and places most Australians never experience, the satisfaction of helping them in a very small way.”