Paola Balla is a Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara woman from the Day and Egan families. She was raised in the Echuca Koorie Community on Yorta Yorta Country. Her Mum, Margy, and Nan Rosie often took her camping on Wemba Wemba Country at Moonacullah with their extended family. Although she was born in Footscray, her Mum brought her back to Echuca to grow up, spending her early years in Kyabram. Her parents separated when she was young, and she saw my Dad, who came to Melbourne from Calabria, Italy in the 1960s, only about once a year.

Growing up had its challenges. Her Mum raised her brother and Paola on her own, so money was always tight. They lived in Aboriginal housing and often struggled with paying rent and even keeping the phone connected. Despite the hardships, Her Mum worked hard, taking on roles such as waitressing, working in an underwear factory with her sisters, being a Koorie educator, drover, and cook. She even completed a cooking course and worked locally on a paddle steamer and at a pub. Unfortunately, racism frequently undermined her work opportunities, but her Mum never backed down—she stood firm for her rights and even brought the media to Echuca to expose the severe racism happening there.

She approaches every journey with openness and intention, looking beyond new places to find deep connections and personal empowerment. Her travels reveal the stories of remarkable women whose lives shine a light on living with purpose. Each adventure weaves together themes of strength, resilience, and cultural diversity, reflecting the essence of Women Inspire Travel.

Starting work at the age of 13, she sought financial independence to avoid burdening her mother. Her primary school years were challenging, marked by prolonged experiences of bullying, racism, and physical aggression from white peers.

She had endured sexual abuse and faced trauma-related challenges. High school was somewhat improved, with a larger presence of Koorie students and relatives, including one of their Aunties serving as the Koorie educator. She truly appreciated school as it provided structure and allowed her to explore arts, drama, and writing. In Year 7, her English teacher, Anna, made a pivotal impact by encouraging her to participate in a public speaking contest, which she accepted. She composed an essay about her experience as a Koorie youth and presented it before approximately two hundred students. This marked her first publication, appearing in the school magazine. Despite feeling terrified, this experience sparked a passion in her to express herself through writing and storytelling.

Engaging with her community through her Mum and Aunties played a vital role in her life. She gained valuable experience by working with her Nan at Nyernda Keeping Place, attending a deportment course led by Hyllus Maris in Shepparton alongside her cousins, and participating in a Koorie fashion show organized by Aunty Denise Morgan. Additionally, she took part in school productions, community sports, and Victorian Aboriginal Youth Sport and Recreation carnivals. Being the only Koorie youth in the local Push youth group, she ensured that a Koorie perspective was represented in social events, such as bringing bands to Echuca and organizing under-age nights. These experiences were deeply fulfilling and helped her develop independence as well as skills in community engagement.

The women who inspire her most are her matriarchs—her Mum and Nan. They shared countless stories and instilled in her a deep respect for family, genealogy, and the connections between relatives. Both her Nan and Mum have endured and overcome significant trans-generational traumas, yet they offered immense love and support. They encouraged her to pursue education and to always stand against racism and injustice. Her Nan Rosie, a self-taught landscape oil painter, inspired her passion for art. Meanwhile, her Mum motivated her to be creative, work hard for her goals, and carry herself with pride and respect..

Her Nan’s first cousin, the remarkable advocate for young women and girls, Aunty Walda Blow, along with Nan’s sister, Aunty Barbara Walker, inspired her through their dedication and compassion. Likewise, Nan’s sisters, Aunty Valerie and Aunty Patsy, were hardworking women who significantly contributed to the Echuca community. Together with their cousin, the respected Elder Aunty Melva Johnson, these Aunties laid the foundation for future generations.

Self-determination holds great significance for her, representing the right of Koorie People, as Aboriginal Peoples, to independently define our own needs, ambitions, culture, expressions, and rights—free from external interference and without others speaking or acting on our behalf.

NAIDOC Week serves as a powerful reminder of our endurance and the strength of those we have lost. It highlights the unwavering resilience of Aboriginal Peoples in their ongoing resistance against colonial oppression. The week also honors the Elders who fought tirelessly for our rights, recalling the original Day of Mourning held in Sydney in 1938, when people came together to grieve for our communities. Her great-great-grandmother, Bapa Mariah Day, made the journey alone from Moonacullah to attend that significant day. She expresses gratitude to her Aunty Cecily Atkinson for sharing this important story.

She is an artist, curator, writer, and community arts worker, much of her work taking place at the Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC) alongside the local community, including children, young people, and Elders. A significant part of her role involves mentoring young Koorie people, exemplified by the exhibition Blak to the Future, featuring emerging young artists. In 2010, FCAC established the Indigenous Arts and Cultural Program and the Wominjeka Festival in collaboration with Arweet Carolyn Briggs, Uncle Larry Walsh, and Karen Jackson, Director of the Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Centre at Victoria University. She also teaches Indigenous subjects and leads community projects at the university.

Education that honors and integrates her history and culture is both empowering and transformative. Her grandmother Rosie advised her to “pursue education relentlessly, go as far as possible, and outsmart them (the white system) at their own game.” She is passionate about her work because it allows her to merge her interests in arts, community, and education. She collaborates with and advocates for her community while guiding non-Aboriginal arts organisations to improve their engagement with Aboriginal, particularly Koorie, artists, cultures, ways of being, and the process of decolonising their institutions.

What kind of future does she envision for young Aboriginal women?

She wishes for all young Aboriginal women, including her daughter Rosie Kalina and niece Maggie, to experience lives free from violence, racism, and trauma. She envisions a future where they are honored and cherished as matriarchal figures embodying strength, culture, wisdom, beauty, and intelligence. She desires for them to lead long, healthy, and joyful lives, crafted in the embrace of loving relationships and enriched by opportunities that are culturally meaningful, fulfilling, and self-directed—where the authority of matriarchal women is fully recognized and respected.