Our feature: The Laura Dance Festival for 2007
With a population fewer than 100, Laura is a small town consisting of a pub, a general store, two service stations, a school, a police station, a health clinic, and a few houses. However, the town, and its surrounding district, proves that size is no measure of importance. The district is home to dozens of Aboriginal art gallery sites, only a few of which are open to the public and some only after formal application to the Aboriginal Ranger at Laura.
The area is famous for its giant figures known as Quinkans after whom the region was named. According to legend they were spirit figures that usually lived in cracks in the rock and came out to frighten people and keep them 'in line'. They were the "boogie men" of the Laura area.
The Quinkan and Regional Cultural Centre is now open and acts as a gateway, informing visitors of the surrounding rock art sites. It will also introduce them to the Indigenous lands, cultural traditions and pastoral life at Old Laura and the area's European and Chinese backgrounds.
The Quinkan Matchbox Project (C00107679) was supported by an Australian Research Council Grant. Work is continuing although the project has now ended.