Blak Led Tours Tasmania

Guided Aboriginal tourism in nipaluna/Hobart and storytelling projects in lutruwita/Tasmania

Blak Led Tours Tasmania is a cultural tourism company founded in 2022 and focused on representing Tasmanian Aboriginal stories through guided tours and storytelling projects in lutruwita/Tasmania. The company presents itself as a 100% Aboriginal-owned and operated initiative, with AQF Sustainable Tourism accreditation.

Its origin dates back to an idea that its founder, Nunami Sculthorpe-Green, held for more than ten years: to create an Aboriginal tour of nipaluna/Hobart, the city where she grew up, to show that Aboriginal stories are present even in the urban centre. After researching while completing her university studies, Nunami was introduced to Annette Downs of Performing Lines Tasmania, who agreed to produce the project and connected her with Tasmanian playwright Sarah Hamilton. After a year of development, the first tour, 'takara nipaluna/walking Hobart', was launched in 2021 as part of the Ten Days on the Island festival. In 2022 Nunami officially launched Blak Led Tours and established a partnership with the Theatre Royal Hobart, which presented the tour throughout 2022 and 2023.

Tours and experiences

The company offers a range of tours and experiences in lutruwita/Tasmania, with guided, self-guided and free options. Its offerings include:

• takara nipaluna Walking Hobart: a 90-minute guided tour of Hobart CBD.
• Lakapawa palawa nipaluna-ti: a one-hour self-guided itinerary on Tasmanian Aboriginal public art in nipaluna/Hobart, also in the city centre.

The flagship tour has been designed with a fully accessible route and bathroom, and incorporates personal hearing equipment and welcomes assistance animals. The company notes that its guide has years of experience in public education and a wealth of knowledge of Tasmanian Aboriginal history and culture, and that, being a nipaluna/Hobart local, can answer most questions.

Blak Led Tours states that it operates the only Aboriginal tour in nipaluna/Hobart and that its experiences have been developed over years of research. It maintains a commitment to accessibility and offers both free and paid experiences.

Storytelling and experience development projects

In addition to its own tours, the company regularly undertakes high-quality experience development, interpretation and storytelling projects in lutruwita/Tasmania. It has completed Tasmanian Aboriginal storytelling commissions for the local government, private enterprise, arts and Aboriginal community-controlled sectors.

Recognition and track record

In 2022, more than 1,600 people took part in the nipaluna/Hobart tour. That same year, Nunami Sculthorpe-Green received a Special Achievement Award for Truth-Telling at the State NAIDOC Awards and the Tourism Minister's Young Achiever Award at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards. The company obtained AQF Sustainable Tourism accreditation in May 2023.

The founder, Nunami Sculthorpe-Green, is a palawa and warlpiri woman born and raised in nipaluna/Hobart, involved in community activism since birth. She was the youngest palawa person selected to repatriate ancestral remains and has appeared in media such as the Talking Tourism podcast, the TVNZ Breakfast show and an ABC interview on Aboriginal tourism in lutruwita/Tasmania and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Resources and visitor information

The company publishes free itineraries, resource lists and recommendations for areas in and around nipaluna/Hobart, updated regularly. It also maintains a news section with updates and media appearances, and offers a quarterly newsletter with information on tour availability and new products.

The website indicated that ticket availability for 2025 tours was limited due to a transition period in which the business's offerings and structure will change, and that tickets are published on the tours page through the booking system. The company continued to accept private group requests during that period.