Song, performance and craft stalls capped off this year’s Defying Boundaries reconciliation walk on August 10th at West End’s Bunyapa Park.

Commencing at St James College on Boundary Street, Spring Hill, the annual walk weaves its way to Boundary Street, West End, to commemorate the curfews and boundaries that excluded Aboriginal people from Brisbane’s city limits after dark in the 19th Century.

History of Brisbane’s Boundary Streets

The Boundary Streets used to define the outer city limits and, although Aboriginal people were allowed to enter the city during the day, they had to exit it by 4pm Monday to Saturday, and were barred entry entirely on Sundays.

According to historian Dr Ros Kidd, in her report Aboriginal History at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Site, a traveller of the time recounted how ‘the mounted troopers used to ride about cracking stock whips to notify the Aboriginals to get out’.

Community Elder thanks supporters

Reconciliation Queensland Co-Chair Aunty Heather Castledine acknowledged both the Yuggera traditional custodians and the Turrbal people on the northern side of the river, and gave thanks to the many supporters of the Defying Boundaries walk.