About Barrumbi Kids

We acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of lands across Australia, their Elders, Ancestors, cultures and heritage, and recognise the continuing sovereignties of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations.

We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Owners of the land on which the ACTF is based and pay our respect to their Elders past and present.

We are honoured to have the opportunity to learn from the oldest cultural storytellers in the world and seek to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners to share their rich culture and perspectives with children in Australia and around the world via stories on screen.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or text.

Rating: G, PG (see episode synopses for details)

Running time: 24 minutes

The Barrumbi Kids series was based on the book series by Northern Territory author Leonie Norrington. It was filmed on the lands of the Jawoyn, Dagoman, Wardaman and Mangarrayi peoples.

In Barrumbi Kids, Tomias and Dahlia – Fire Hawk and Crow – have been best friends since forever. They have grown up together in Mandjarkkorl – FireTree town – a remote Top End community on the edge of Arnhem Land.

Life in Mandjakkorl is never dull for these kids. It involves crazy cracker nights, lost treasure, huge grass fires, initiation ceremonies, feral chooks, ancestral spirits, outsiders trying to change things and of course, big salty crocs! In short, a whole outback of adventure and sometimes trouble. Not that they go looking for trouble…it sort of manages to find them!

Now in their final year of primary school, Tomias and Dahlia know that change is coming. Whether they like it or not, they’ll both find themselves torn between loyalty to each other and the growing demands of the outside world.

In this unique and vibrant Australian setting, Barrumbi Kids explores the universal themes of friendship and change, the weight of expectations, of home and culture, and the age-old problem of battling a giant salty that’s moved into your favourite swimming hole.

Watch

Stream Barrumbi Kids on SBS On Demand in English, Eastside Kriol or Torres Strait Creole.

The series is also available to purchase from the ACTF Shop.

Additional Resource

Scholastic Australia Teacher Notes for ‘The Barrumbi Kids’, by Leonie Norrington.

Leonie Norrington website.

National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature – The Barrumbi Kids.

Feedback

The ACTF would like to better understand how teachers are using our resources in the classroom. We welcome feedback from teachers who have delivered and adapted our resources.

Please reach out to education@actf.com.au with questions, comments and suggestions.

Acknowledgements

Directed by Grant Brown, Justin Schneider, Deborah Brown, Ismail Khan
Written by Danielle MacLean, Julia Moriarty, Stephen Abbott, Warren Coleman, David Woodhead, Fin Edquist, Shontell Leah Ketchell.

Producers: Monica O’Brien, Danielle MacLean
Co-Producer: Julia Morris
Executive Producer: Bernadette O’Mahony, Matthew Street

Barrumbi Kids is an Ambience Entertainment and Tamarind Tree Pictures production for NITV. Principal production funding from Screen Australia. Developed and financed with the assistance of the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and Screen Territory, financed with the assistance of Screen NSW and produced with investment from Screen Queensland. Distributed by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.