As we were developing this project at Godinymayin, our team sought the advice of Katherine Times journalist Annie Hesse—who immediately volunteered her time, ideas, and input to help us celebrate International Women’s Day. To this effort, Annie brought a comprehensive knowledge of local history and contemporary people, and facilitated much of the community outreach behind the Big and Deep Rivers project. 

During the early stages, we started talking about the recent past—and some of the heroic people who had been featured in the pages of the Katherine Times over the years. And after looking through the newspaper’s archives, the idea for this Tributaries exhibition was born. 

As a companion exhibition in our smaller Laneway Gallery, Tributaries offers historical snippets and a reflection of our recent past—and some of the incredible women who have helped shape the town and region. 

Originally published in the paper’s Community Hero series between 2010 and 2015, these feature items are represented here at Godinymayin as an additional way to celebrate 2023 International Women’s Day and local community-making. 

Delve into the archives on our walls, revisit the near past, and peruse some of the other interesting and curious things happening back then—as reported by the Katherine Times (and the always topical Letters to the Editor). Ponder these heroic Tributaries and their connections to current-day Katherine—and discover even more inspiring people who have made the Big Rivers Region a unique and special place to be.