For a long time, Aboriginal stories were not told in Tasmania and were often invisible in public spaces. Too many people have grown-up without any accurate information or education about our people.
This gap inspired Blak Led Tours founder Nunami to create an Aboriginal tour of nipaluna/Hobart, the city she grew up in. Hoping to try and make people aware that Aboriginal stories are truly everywhere, even in the heart of the city. She thought everyone should know the true history and culture of the city streets they live, work and visit.
Nunami carried this idea for more than ten years, researching while also completing her university studies.
Eventually Nunami was introduced to Annette Downs from Performing Lines Tasmania who agreed to produce the tour. Annette paired Nunami up with Tasmanian playwright Sarah Hamilton and the three went through a year of development. This resulted in the launch of our first tour ‘takara nipaluna/walking Hobart’, the first and only Aboriginal tour of Hobart, which was launched during the 2021 Ten Days on the Island Festival.
In 2022 Nunami officially started Blak Led Tours and was able to partner with the Theatre Royal Hobart who presented the tour throughout 2022 and 2023. In 2022 we had more than 1600 attendees on the nipaluna/Hobart tour and Nunami received a Special Achievement Award for Truth-Telling at the State NAIDOC Awards as well as the Tourism Ministers Young Achiever Award at the Tasmanian Tourism awards in 2022.
Today Blak Led Tours is an AQF Sustainable Tourism Accredited Business that has developed and delivered tours right across the state of Lutruwita/Tasmania.
We have now expanded into story-telling and experience development services, undertaking commercial, interpretive and artistic commissions for clients across the island working in the local government, arts, private and Aboriginal community-controlled sectors.
The vision for Blak Led Tours is to be the preferred provider of Tasmanian Aboriginal storytelling experiences in Lutruwita. We hope to be the first port of call for clients and customers seeking unique and meaningful cultural experiences and commissions.
Nunami is proud palawa and warlpiri woman born and raised in nipaluna/Hobart.
Nunami has grown up in a very close and supportive Tasmanian Aboriginal family and community and is passionate about showcasing her people's history and culture. She has been involved in community activism since birth. As an active and involved member of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community she was the youngest palawa person ever chosen to repatriate ancestral remains and was selected as Young Tasmanian Aboriginal of the year in 2015 at the state NAIDOC Awards.
Nunami holds a BA in History and Legal Studies from the University of Tasmania, graduating in 2019. Her work history centres on public education and community development having held positions at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and the University of Tasmania.
Nunami received a Special Achievement award at the 2022 state NAIDOC awards and was named Tourism Minister's Young Achiever at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards the same year.
As an artist, Nunami attended the Tarraleah Artist Residency in 2020 and 2021 and as a recipient of the Arts Tasmania 'Tasmanian Aboriginal Arts Mentorship grant', Nunami was mentored by Annette Downs, Senior Producer for Performing Lines Tasmania 2021 and 2022. As an artist and facilitator Nunami has presented work for the Clarence Jazz Festival, Beaker Street Festival, Constance ARI, MONA FOMA faux mo and at Contemporary Arts Tasmania.
Today Nunami balances her time between delivering tours, pursuing artistic endeavours and raising her daughter Tanganutura.