Our Story
Hello and welcome to Yingarna Australia! My name is Kirsten Atkinson (that's me pictured on the right with my Dad Kelvin, and sisters Shanara and Ebony) and I am a proud Bangerang and Gunaikurnai woman from country Victoria, now living and working on Gumbaynggirr land on the NSW Coffs Coast. I started Yingarna Australia back in 2015 when I was making children's clothing and selling them in my Etsy store and at local markets. Since then, Yingarna Australia has evolved and the main products we sell are handmade earrings and our popular Yingarna t-shirts and jumpers, which you can now purchase.
I work on my Yingarna products part time, while working part time as the Project Coordinator on the Gumbaynggirr Daari Research Project- a project run by Western Sydney University in partnership with the Aboriginal Languages Trust, and local Coffs Harbour Aboriginal organisations. The project focuses on the revitalisaiton of Gumbaynggirr Language, and I feel extremely privileged to be able to work on such a meaningful project with the local community.
My Grandparents Uncle Sandy Atkinson and Aunty Gwen Atkinson (nee Thorpe) were true trailblazers in our community back home in Shepparton, Victoria and definitely instilled in me the importance of ensuring that our culture lives on for not only our future generations, but for the whole of Australia. I hope that I can play a part in doing so (albeit small) by creating and sharing products that everyone can wear and enjoy, and show their love for the oldest living culture in the world...
So, what does "yingarna" mean?
In Bangerang language (my Grandfather's language) the meaning of yingarna is "small" (see image). Back in the early days I was making children's clothing I wanted a word to represent that- hence the name "Yingarna Designs" ie."Small Designs". Fast forward a few years and I started making jewellery, so Yingarna Designs was still very fitting and represented what my business was about. As many businesses do, Yingarna Designs pivoted a little and now the focus is on adults clothing and jewellery, and the name has changed to Yingarna Australia.
The Yingarna Logo
The Yingarna Logo was created by Worimi artist Lara Went of Yukul Art exclusively for Yingarna Australia. In the early days it was sewn into the children's clothing that I made. In the evolution of Yingarna Designs/Australia, the Yingarna Logo is now laser cut and screen printed on the products I create.
