Uncle Allan Welcome stands as a storyteller and custodian of Great Palm Island, weaving together the past and present of a land rich with culture and history. As he speaks, he paints a vivid picture of the islands that make up his homeland. "My name is Alan Palm Island. We are here on Spoongeman Barra, Great Palm Island," he begins, grounding his narrative in a deep sense of place and belonging.
Elder Allan's voice carries the weight of his ancestors, as he shares the language and names that define the islands: "Our language is Mulkal... we speak our language, that we call Nakarawaraka Burbanbara." Each name he utters carries the spirit of the land and the people who have called it home for generations.
He describes the physical landscape with reverence: "Today we just wanted to say that the islands behind me, it's Nuru, but they call it Curacao..." His words are not just descriptions; they are connections to the past, to the stories and the people who have shaped this land.
A sense of pride and accomplishment shines through as Uncle Allan talks about the emblem of Great Palm Island, featuring the Mingina Mingina Ranges. "We, we put the designs on it as a two, because our boundary is, is, is come into form of a, of a big Mandaray." This emblem is a symbol of identity and unity, a testament to the resilience of the community.
In his welcome, Elder Allan invites all to recognize and respect the sacredness of this place: "I'm just trying to welcome you all today. Thanks for coming." His words are an open invitation to understand and appreciate the cultural richness of Great Palm Island.
Through his storytelling, Uncle Allan Welcome not only honors his heritage but also fosters a sense of connection and belonging, reminding us of the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural identity.
Allan Palm Island
Palm Island (Bwgcolman Country)
PUBLIC-ARCHIVE-CONFIRMED. Allan Palm Island, age 50 (b. ~1975), Manbarra Traditional Owner Director on the PICC Board (the inaugural holder of that position). In his own words: "I began to learn about my culture from as young as eight years, and this started with my father. He would, over the years, teach me first about the stories of the Nanggarra Wanggarra people and my connection to country (Manbarra). My art depicts the land and animal and sea life and within the art is the spiritual connection to our ancestors which includes my father and my mother's country and they carrying on of knowledge through these artworks." Trained at Cairns College of TAFE (Arts and Craft), continued at Casuarina University (Charles Darwin University, NT), and completed Master of Fine Arts at RMIT University Melbourne in 1999. As Manbarra, Allan represents the original Traditional Owners of Palm Island — the Manbarra were forcibly moved off the islands in the 1890s by the Queensland Government, before the 1914 reserve gazetting brought the Bwgcolman peoples. PICC Acknowledgement of Country (2023-24 Annual Report) names Allan as Manbarra Director and recognises both the Manbarra (Traditional Owners) and the Bwgcolman (descendants of those forcibly removed) — "Bwgcolman" meaning "many tribes, one people" (per Jeanie Sam, Manager of PICC Children and Youth Services). KINSHIP LEAD (Tuesday 2026-04-28): "Dick Palm Island" was the Manbarra elder credited with coining the term Bwgcolman ("many tribes, one people") to give a collective identity to the 46 forcibly relocated groups. Allan Palm Island shares the surname pattern (adopted from country) and the Manbarra identity — possible direct lineage. Worth confirming with Allan Tuesday. ADDITIONAL ARCHIVE CONFIRMATION (Trove): At the opening of the Palm Island Cultural Precinct on 24 February 2012 (Torres News, 14 March 2012), Allan Palm Island welcomed politicians and hundreds of community members "to country" as the local Manbarra elder — before the Tom Geia Snr Memorial Bridge was unveiled. Direct documentary evidence of Allan in his Manbarra Traditional Owner role over a decade before the PICC Board appointment.
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