Place Agency — Country with Deborah Swan + Siân Hromek — Part 1
In this episode our conversation partners are engaged by host Angelique Edmonds in a yarn exploring the theme of country. This conversation was deliberately more of a yarn rather than a standard interview format. A yarn is a relational inquiry with an emphasis on listening, slowness, and relational accountability, enabling a story-based conversation guided by cultural protocols.
In this episode the conversation covers:
- Starting with country and seeing place through an Aboriginal lens
- The Firesticks Alliance and cultural burning as collaborative stewardship
- Lessons from land stewardship for designers and planners
- The Connecting with Country framework and its uptake in practice
- Aunty Mary Graham on relationality
- Anne Poelina and her publications on water, law and First Nations governance
- Planning with Country tools and how non-First Nations practitioners can engage respectfully
About the guests
Deborah Swan is a Ngarrindjeri woman with kinship ties to Darkinjung and Awaba Country, where she was raised and continues to live. With more than 30 years of experience as a Culture and Heritage officer — and previous work as a certified Ranger with Forest NSW — she has dedicated her life to cultural mapping, land stewardship, and community knowledge. Her academic achievements reflect a deep commitment to cultural preservation and community empowerment. She holds diplomas in Aboriginal Studies, Natural and Cultural Resource Management, and Quality Auditing. Her Master's degree in Architecture Research contributes meaningfully to revitalising Indigenous Knowledge systems, focusing on Indigenous-led research methodologies and epistemologies. During her time at the Institute of Koorie Education at Deakin University, she co-authored the influential Guidelines and Principles for Pre-Ethical Approaches to Indigenous Australian Research (Martin et al., 2016). She is now continuing her scholarly path through doctoral studies.
Siân Hromek is a Saltwater woman with Budawang/Dhurga/Yuin and Burrier/Dharawal ancestry who lives and works in the Northern Rivers. Through working on and with Country she has developed a deep appreciation for First Nations stewardship and philosophy. In her work Siân explores how we can learn from Country to improve the way we approach life — to be more respectful, inclusive, collaborative and considerate of Country.
Our host Angelique Edmonds has a passion for design education, social value and public engagement. Trained as an architect, she operates professionally as a Senior Lecturer in Architecture & Sustainable Design at UniSA and independently as the founder and Creative Director of the School for Creating Change. Her 2020 book Connecting People, Place & Design (published by Intellect UK) draws together fifteen years of practice and research regarding human relationships to place, our capacities to connect with one another and place, and the extent to which contemporary public design mechanisms allow public participation.
Links discussed in this episode
Credits
Siân Hromek:
LinkedIn
WSP Profile
Deborah Swan:
LinkedIn
This program has been made possible with support from the Alastair Swayn Foundation. Find out more at alastairswaynfoundation.org
Angelique Edmonds:
Instagram: @angelique.edmonds
LinkedIn: @angelique.edmonds
Website: schoolforcreatingchange.com
Production + Editing: @apenning_
