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Sunday Club Historical Exhibition Celebrates our Partnership with the Aboriginal Community

Wednesday, Jun 8, 2011

Sunday Club was the collective name for a suite of ground-breaking community development programs that UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide (then known as Port Adelaide Central Mission) undertook in collaboration with members of the local Aboriginal Community.

Operating from 1970 to 1975, it aimed to increase the independence of participants. Some programs included:

  • The Sunday Club for children.
  • The Aboriginal Friendship Club for adults with children involved in other parts of the program. 
  • An Ethnic Music group, working with Dr Cath Ellis of Adelaide University to preserve Aboriginal Musical heritage. 
  • A Sunday Night Jazz Club. 
  • The Young Adults Social Committee, organising camps and social events. 
  • Homework Centres with Aboriginal parents and volunteers acting as tutors. 
  • A Health Club, primarily for mothers.

From Tuesday 31 May to Sunday 5 June a historical exhibition, “Remembering the Sunday Club”, was held at Port Adelaide’s Black Diamond Gallery. The exhibition used archival records, film, photographs and recorded recollections which captured the memories of former participants.

Over 180 visitors to the exhibition including past program participants, enthusiasts and members of the community helped to re-live the story.

Noela Bajjali, who coordinated the exhibition said, “Many of the former Sunday Club participants that we met during this project remember it as one of the best times of their life. We tried to give visitors a feel for what the Sunday Club was like for everyone involved including kids, parents and leaders alike.

Putting the exhibition together was a lot of work but became a ‘labour of love’ for me as I realised how wonderful and important the Sunday Club programs had been. Just like the 40-plus volunteers that helped keep the Sunday Club running every week, many people volunteered their time to prepare the exhibition and look after the Gallery during opening hours. These volunteers made the exhibition possible and I’m very grateful for their help. The praise and positive feedback we got from people who attended the exhibition made it all worthwhile."