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Established in 2003, iDIDJ Australia continues to evolve and grow as an online didgeridoo hub with a cultural twist. We are Australian, versed in the high art of chopstick use, and love the rich artistic, cultural, musical and gastronomic diaspora that is contemporary pluralistic Australia.
Over the past two decades we have been collector, researcher and purveyor of Aboriginal-made didgeridoos and Aboriginal arts & crafts from the ‘Top End’; this is basically the area of Australia above the Tropic of Capricorn and covers the Western Australia and Queensland states as well as the Northern Territory.
We have found new homes for fine didgeridoos of high musicality and we have also handled many exquisite Aboriginal art pieces, hard-to-find books, rare vinyls, and other artefacts, ephemera, curiosities and oddities of years bygone.
iDIDJ Australia is pleased to announce that we have updated and improved upon our systems for safe and secure online purchase of goods through our new Dilly Bag Store.
In more recent times, iDIDJ Australia has been better known for its YouTube channel which has provided a lens into Aboriginal communities and personalities of the Northern Territory and, in particular, an area known as Arnhem Land. The striking musicianship of traditional Aboriginal “overtone-present” and “overtone-absent” styles of play is compelling viewing as is the popular freestyle forms of ‘dooing.
We present our videos in a fun and hopefully entertaining way just as the didgeridoo has been presented to us by extended family in the NT. Many throughout the world find our videos to be an inspiring source of instructional material… and all for free! Check out our channel and make sure to subscribe and leave comments for us, we love them so keep ’em coming!
Through our continued work iDIDJ Australia hopes to enrich our collective understanding of, and appreciation for, the didgeridoo in all its forms and contexts it may find itself in, whether in Australia or abroad. The didgeridoo as a musical instrument continues to evolve in all its magnificence and glory… some of its finest exponents are American, Dutch, Japanese, French, Czech, German, Anglo-Australian as well as Australian Aboriginal!
We exist as a global network of fans, friends and extended family – like us on our Official iDIDJ Australia Facebook Page to keep abreast of the latest news and happenings.
In summary, our current work focusses on:
- Generating new knowledge
- Sharing information
- Connecting people
- Facilitating events
- Supporting trade and
- Assisting with new pathways
Operated and managed by brother and sister Guan Lim and Swee Lim, iDIDJ Australia adds to the earlier work of Didgeridoo Techniques of an Aboriginal Tribe and Collector’s Corner.
Guan Lim
Graduating from Melbourne University, Guan began his professional life as an academic in the biological sciences field and combined this with anthropology in studying Aboriginal land management in the Northern Territory. His postgraduate field studies required him to live in a number of remote communities in Arnhem Land 20 years ago where through participant observation he gained an intimate knowledge of the customs and languages of the Yolngu people of north-central and eastern Arnhem Land.
“In 1994 when I first went to the Northern Territory I was blown away by the experience. Living with Aboriginal families was a life-changing event for me”, says Guan. “I felt a powerful sense of belonging. It is a common feeling among visitors to remote Aboriginal communities… the warmth and generosity of everyone from kids to elders was extraordinary and it was this heartfelt expression of love from a group of people I hardly knew that was to be a catalyst for a lifelong study of and devotion to the land, people and culture”.
Guan has worked in a variety of roles in research, education, community development, philanthropy and the arts in Victoria and the Northern Territory.
Swee Lim
A graduate of Melbourne University, Swee has worked for over 20 years in the arts – as a senior arts manager, producer, programmer, arts consultant and artist, working across the performing arts, visual arts and literature sector. This includes work as General Manager of Kids Own Publishing, Co-producer of the Indigenous Arts Expo for the Australia Council and Program Manager at Asialink. Her work has required her to liaise extensively with artists and arts organisations across Australia and Asia.
As an arts consultant she has worked with the City of Melbourne and other local governments on policy, strategic planning and evaluation. Her committee and board duties include those with Arts Victoria, ArtPlay, Malthouse Theatre, and the City of Melbourne.
Swee has travelled through Asia, South America and Europe, has lived on four continents, and counts Italian and Spanish as her second languages. She is deeply committed to promoting and celebrating cultural diversity, social justice and creativity.
Social media
On Facebook, iDIDJ Australia has been ably assisted by Steve, Yvonne, Kieran, Angie and Scott. We thank them for their sharing, admin support and contributions in helping to create a fun, social space for all as well as showing us a little bit of what daily life is like in their home communities.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which iDIDJ Australia stands – the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. In particular, we recognise that Wurundjeri stewardship of this land is what keeps us alive today.
To all the mobs who have didgeridoo in their culture, what an enchanting gift you have shared with us! It is our hope that this website continues to pass on and share this gift.
Guan and Swee are grateful to our parents, dad Hoe and mum Mei, for their love, values and sacrifices. They have provided us with incredible opportunities in our adopted country and given us the freedom to explore and discover, as well as to make mistakes. Thank you mum and dad!