Koya Aboriginal Corporation and Dr John Goldsmith / Celestial Visions have released a film of their project, “Australia’s Cultural Night Sky: Culture, Creativity and Community at Lake Ballard, Western Australia”.
The video documents the journey and activities of 12 Aboriginal high-school students, visiting the remote, dark-sky location of Lake Ballard, in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. The project helped students learn about Aboriginal culture and history, on country, and to experience the extraordinary sight of the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, pass directly overhead. Such a sight is only visible at the southern latitude of approximately 30 degrees south. No-where else on Earth is this extraordinary sight visible.
This inspiring story is a visual record of the 2000km+ field visit to Lake Ballard, which took place in August 2025. The film records the cultural experiences of Aboriginal students, engaging with intergenerational knowledge, sharing and learning ancient stories of the night sky by Elders. The project inspires others to develop socially responsible, ethical, positive ventures, into the future.
The 12-minute film project was filmed and produced by Dr John Goldsmith, founder of www.celestialvisions.com.au. The film includes superb astronomical and daytime timelapse sequences featuring the extraordinary landscape of Lake Ballard, a dry salt-lake, and home to the Inside Australia sculpture project by Sir Antony Gormley.
