Aboriginal authenticity for online outlet

A NEWLY-established, locally run online store is aiming to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned art, items and businesses throughout Australia.

The site is called Balim Balim Dreaming went live last month and founder, operator and Wadawurrung woman Bonnie Chew said it is an evolution of a previously established enterprise.

“It actually stemmed from my other business, Mirriyu Cultural Consulting, which I’d created a shop component for during the pandemic as an added way of support for myself and others,” she said.

“It started to blur the lines between my consulting and the online store so I thought I’d make a store separate to that and that’s where Balim Balim Dreaming came in.

“It’s an amalgamation of those two fronts that showcases Indigenous works like food products, crafts, artworks, anything created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

The site’s name means ‘butterfly dreaming’ and serves as a tribute to a passed elder whom Ms Chew said was an important mentor to her.

Although mainly an online store, Ms Chew has also held several market stalls for Balim Balim Dreaming, at places like the Smythedale Fiesta and Buninyong Autumn Market.

Ms Chew built the website from scratch, and said the core for the online shop is to provide an ethical outlet where people can buy authentic Aboriginal items.

“It’s that variety in knowing you’re going to that one-stop shop where everything’s either ethically-sourced, has an artist’s code or they’re come from an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander business,” she said.

“I want to make sure people buying an Aboriginal-designed product, that it’s not mass-produced where nothing goes back to the community. I want people to be able to buy from here knowing they’re doing the right thing.”

“This is all very much still in the building stages, but I’ve got loads more stuff coming in that will hopefully excite some people.”