Blak Quiz Comedy Night a hit in Dungog

THE auditorium of the Dungog RSL Club was packed on Saturday night as the people of Dungog and surrounding areas enjoyed a night of deadly hilarity — mixed with a little education.

Biripi comedian Andy Saunders brought his unique style of standup comedy to the town, weaving stories of his life and experiences throughout the evening.

“I am father of four, husband of one, and half-vegan,” he began. “Strangely, I’ve been Blak all of my life, but I do speak two languages: English and Yobbo!”.

Then, he offered congratulations to Dungog on becoming the 2026 Tidy Town of NSW.

“Just as well the awards were announced before I drove into town”, he joked.

And so the tone was set for the evening, with Andy’s self-deprecating humour drawing the crowd in more and more.

Dungog’s very first Blak Quiz also featured during the evening.

Questions covered the whole scope of Indigenous achievements in sport, arts, music, politics, science and technology, as well as a round covering “local knowledge” questions about the Indigenous community in Dungog. Would you have known the Indigenous language of the area? (Gathung) Or the name of the First People of the area? (Gringai) Or even the Indigenous name of the local river? (Dooribang).

Andy spiced up the questions throughout the night with his own Blak sense of humour, engaging the crowd at every point.

Drinks were for sale from the Club’s bar throughout the evening and many people enjoyed the food of the Happyman Chinese Restaurant as they came and went with plates of food to enjoy during the Quiz.

Twenty-two local businesses had donated prizes for the raffles that were held during the night; judges scrutinised all the score sheets submitted by each table and, at the end of the night, declared the all-Indigenous team of Mirriiyn Djukal (“big stars”) to be the winner, just pushing the Error 404 Team into second place.

Reconciliation Dungog has a membership of around 75 people and a small hard-working committee that organises speakers, films, street stalls, and special events during Reconciliation Week and on other occasions throughout the year.

The group offers a scholarship for indigenous youth to attend a camp each year and regularly purchases books for the primary and secondary schools in the Dungog Shire, as well as an Amy Green print of Wyelia for the Dungog Library.

During the evening, a presentation was made to Jenny Akers, convenor of the committee for many years, who is moving from the town in the near future.

As people left at the end of the evening, they commented on what a great night it had been, leading to the hope that this event will become a staple of the Dungog calendar in future years.

By Dr John SQUIRES

Blak Quiz Comedy Night