DIDGERIDOO music will welcome the bride to the first Aboriginal wedding to be held at St Matthew’s Church in Albury today.
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Wiradjuri woman Liz Cameron, 28, will wed Ariel Barbas, 29, who migrated from The Philippines when he was 13.
Indigenous tradition means that Mr Barbas will then become part of the Wiradjuri people, just like the couple’s son, Brandon, eight.
St Matthew’s is hosting the ceremony only because the West Albury couple called off a plan to marry under the gum trees at Mungabareena.
“It would have been too wet there and more heavy rain is forecast,” Ms Cameron said yesterday.
St Matthew’s rector Peter MacLeod-Miller was elated at the couple’s choice of his Anglican church because he has wanted to involve the Aboriginal community more since arriving from England in January.
“I’ll be sharing conducting the marriage service with Pastor Darren Wighton, from the Aboriginal church in Lavington,” he said.
“He’ll be wearing our new St Matthew’s cope and has a connection with St Matthew’s as he’s designing a new altar frontal for us.”
Wiradjuri elder Kevin Cameron will give away his daughter but before the service starts he’ll deliver a traditional Wirudjuri “welcome to country”.
Another Wiradjuri woman, Angela “Bamali” Livingstone, will be Ms Cameron’s matron of honour and a friend of Mr Barbas, Mel Ferris, is best man.
Mr Barbas works at the Bradken foundry in Wodonga and his bride at the YES youth and family services agency in Albury.
Archdeacon MacLeod-Miller has worked with Ms Cameron’s sister, Rose Whybrow, through the church’s links with Westside community centre.
He said that having a wedding at the church was part of the reconciliation and sharing process that he was keen to promote.
