FIREBOY
A Journey of Fire, Culture, and Intergenerational Wisdom
A young Yuin boy goes on a journey across the country in search of the ancestral fire lore and knowledge that will help him protect his community and regenerate his traditional lands.
When Ngubbra embarks on a journey across Australia—guided by his father, Yuin Elder Uncle Warren Foster—he discovers not just fire lore, but his own identity, kinship networks, and a deeper connection to Country.
This is a story about resilience, intergenerational knowledge transmission, and why Traditional fire knowledge is essential to Australia's future. It's about slowing down, listening deeply, and recognising that the wisdom we need has been here for 65,000 years.
The development phase of this documentary project has been made possible by Fire to Flourish through Monash University. Thank you for the support and our shared vision.
From Yuin Country to Kakadu: Our early journey in search of knowledge and story.
Ngubbra Foster's journey begins on Yuin Country, the lands of his ancestors on the NSW South Coast. Here, his father Uncle Warren Foster—a Yuin Elder, cultural storyteller, and teacher—begins to share the fire lore, land management practices, and intergenerational wisdom that have sustained Country for millennia.
But this is not just a story about learning from one place. It's about connection across Country.
Ngubbra travels north to Kakadu National Park, to Bininj/Mungguy Country, where he meets Uncle Victor Cooper and Uncle David Cameron—knowledge keepers who welcome him, share their fire practices, and show him how Traditional knowledge flows between communities with respect, protocol, and reciprocity.
In Kakadu, something profound happens: Ngubbra discovers his skin name and extended kinship networks. By chance, he reconnects with family—the Wadaynu Clan—and learns that he belongs to something far bigger than he imagined. This discovery strengthens his identity and belonging within Aboriginal kinship systems, enriching his cultural identity for life.
What This Journey Reveals:
Fire as Teacher: How Traditional burning practices are not just about managing land, but about reading Country, understanding seasons, and maintaining balance
Intergenerational Wisdom: How knowledge flows from Elder to young person, father to son, across generations and Country
Kinship and Belonging: How discovering your family connections deepens your sense of identity and place in the world
Connection Across Country: How Traditional Owners share knowledge with respect, protocol, and mutual learning across different lands
A Father's Wisdom: Uncle Warren Foster
At the heart of Fireboy is the relationship between father and son, Elder and learner, storyteller and listener.
Uncle Warren Foster is a Yuin Elder, cultural storyteller, and teacher. His approach to sharing knowledge is gentle, patient, and deeply rooted in cultural protocol. He doesn't impose timelines or predetermined lessons—he allows the story to reveal itself through lived experience, time on Country, and genuine connection.
When Uncle Warren takes Ngubbra to visit other knowledge keepers on different Country, he models something essential: how to learn with respect, how to listen deeply, and how to honour the protocols that guide Indigenous knowledge sharing across communities.
What Uncle Warren Teaches:
Presence Over Speed: The best learning happens when we slow down and be present
Listening as Practice: True knowledge comes from listening—to Elders, to Country, to the quiet moments in between
Cultural Protocol: How to approach other knowledge keepers with respect, humility, and genuine curiosity
Fire as Relationship: Fire is not a tool—it's a relationship with Country, a conversation between people and land
Uncle Warren's wisdom shapes not just Ngubbra's learning, but the entire spirit of this project. His voice, his stories, and his presence are the foundation of Fireboy.
Father and son.
“Thank you for inviting us both along on that journey, it was one we both won't forget in a hurry. I am honoured to be apart of the documentary and can't wait for our next adventure.”
— Uncle Warren Foster
Knowledge from
Bininj/Mungguy Country
Ngubbra’s journey takes us to the traditional lands of Limilngan/Minitja, Murumburr, Garndidjbal, Yurlkmanj, Wurngomgu, Bolmo, Wurrkbarbar, Matjba, Uwinymil, Bunidj, Djindibi, Mirrar Gundjeihmi and Dadjbaku peoples.
Ngubbra Penrth guided by his father Uncle Warren Foster are currently on a journey with our team following a devine path, through culture, family, the sky, the environment and patterns of coincidence.
Beginning with Uncle Victor Cooper in South Alligator River, we learnt from the story of his land, stories of the bush, wetlands and fire culture and led us on a journey towards the story of Namarrgon (Lighting Man) of Burrunggui.
As the journey continued, Adrian and Aidan of Kakadu National Parks helped us lay a beautiful foundation to experience within the region, leading us to Uncle David Cameron, alongside his granddaughter Marcianne and her partner Unc Preston. We journeyed through Mudginberri with them, talked story and Uncle David showed us fire culture, important to his people along with connection to fire kites. Uncle David will then take us to Burrunggui and tell the story of the Lighting Man…
Community Screenings:
Bringing the journey back home
We brought the story home—hosting two community screening and knowledge nights at Bermagui Public School and Umbarra Community Centre.
These weren't typical film screenings. They were cultural celebrations, intergenerational learning spaces, and opportunities for the Yuin community to see themselves, their knowledge, and their young people honoured on screen.
Primary school students, teenagers, young adults, parents, and Elders gathered to witness Ngubbra's journey and engage in dialogue about Traditional fire knowledge, cultural connection, and environmental stewardship.
The community's response was overwhelmingly positive. Teachers, families, and friends expressed gratitude for a project that centres Traditional knowledge and youth empowerment. Young people were excited to see Ngubbra's journey and expressed interest in filmmaking, storytelling, and learning more about fire lore.
Ngubbra's journey shows the next generation that cultural knowledge is not something to be preserved in museums—it's alive, it's theirs, and it's essential to who they are and who they will become.
This is just the beginning. Ngubbra's journey is far from over. The fire lore he's learning, the connections he's making, and the knowledge he's receiving are just the beginning of a lifelong relationship with culture, Country, and community.
This story belongs to the communities it represents. It's a story about all of us—about recognising that the solutions to our environmental challenges may lie in the wisdom we've been overlooking for centuries.
We invite you to join this journey. To listen, learn, and recognise that caring for Country is caring for our collective future.
Fireboy is a community-led, culturally grounded story. We're committed to ongoing engagement, reciprocal relationships, and shared celebration.
Stay Updated: Email us to receive updates on screenings, knowledge nights, and the next chapters of this journey as we move into the next stage of development and into production for our documentary.
