The journals of George Augustus Robinson (1788-1866), the Chief Protector of Aborigines of Port Phillip from 1839- March 1850 are a rich source of historical and ethnohistorical information. His voluminous private papers and journals were acquired by the Mitchell Library in NSW in 1939. The publications of Robinsons journals is an important addition to the already published material, for they offer insights into the state of relations between Aboriginal people and Europeans in the districts visited.document reproductionsgeorge augustus robinson, port phillip, colonisation

Born in 1893, Anthony Bolam was the Station Master at Ooldea Siding on the Trans-Australian Railway from 1920 to 1925. Bolam was very interested in Aboriginal culture and was a careful and sympathetic recorder of their lifestyle, customs and ceremonies. A keen photographer, he took many photographs of the Aboriginal people who congregated at Ooldea Siding in the early 1920s. Many of these photographs were included in this book. He died in 1966. This item is a useful research tool as it contains a contemporary description and photographsof the Aboriginal people of Ooldea, a tiny settlement in South Australia, on the eastern edge of the Nullarbor Plain. A small 134 pp book with a red and white cover which has a photograph of an Aboriginal holding a spear. The book has some full-page b/w plates and a folding map at the end.inside on front page - No. 58

Awabakal is the language of the Aboriginal people from the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Lower Hunter region of New South Wales in Australia. As Lenny takes his walk and collects insects, we learn some words that relate to the bush, to the landscape and the little creatures that would be found there. This book has been printed with sound, which can be heard through an Audio Reader. If you have an Audio Reader, run it over the pages to hear the sound.word lists, colour illustrationsawabakal, newcastle, lake macquarie, hunter region, juvenile literature

The records covered by this guide relate to Victoria's Aboriginal people until 1975 when the Commonwealth assumed the State's then responsibility for Aboriginal affairs. One result of the transfer of responsibility was that the official documents became separated. For the early period, 1836-1859, the records are held in the Public Record Office of Victoria, and for the period 1860-1975, a substantial proportion are in the Australian Archives, Victorian Regional Office. The object of this guide is to improve public knowledge of these records and to promote their use in the Aboriginal and general community.b&w photographs, index, listsaustralian archives, public record office victoria, history sources

The Lake Condah Mission site includes bluestone ruins and a reconstructed timber building, as well as the cemetery which were part of the original settlement. With European settlement in the 1830s came conflict. Gunditjmara people fought for their land during the Eumerella wars, which lasted more than 20 years. As this conflict drew to an end in the 1860s, many Aboriginal people were displaced and the Victorian government began to develop reserves to house them. Many Aboriginal people refused to move from their ancestral land and eventually the government agreed to build a mission at Lake Condah, close to some of the eel traps and within sight of Budj Bim (Mt Eccles). The mission opened in 1867. The Mission was formally closed in 1918, and Aboriginal people were forced off the Mission, some moving to Lake Tyers. The Gunditjmara protested against the Mission’s closure and many continued to reside in the buildings until the majority of the reserve land was handed over to the Soldier Settlement Scheme in the 1940s. The mission was destroyed by the government in the 1950s in an effort to force the integration of Gunditjmara people with the general community but the Gunditjmara people continued to live in the area and protect their heritage. The mission lands were returned to the Gunditjmara in 1987. Lake Condah Mission is a place with special meaning to the Gunditjmara community - as a community meeting place, an administrative centre, a symbol of political struggle and a link to family histories. As a result the Gunditjmara community do not want open public access to this site. Key Features of Interest Ruins of stone cottages and plot remains of buildings such as the church Reconstructed dormitory building (https://www.budjbim.com.au/visit/cultural-sites/lake-condah-mission/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz6j36ZvF-QIV8ZhmAh2tmA3qEAAYASAAEgLxrvD_BwE, accessed 2022)Colour photographs of the former Lake Condah Aboriginal Missionlake condah, lake condah aboriginal mission, aborigines, aboriginal, gunditjmara, eumerella wars

This is a book of 48 pages. It has a red cover with black printing. The pages contain printed material and black and white photographs.non-fictionAboriginal words and their English meaningsaustralian aboriginal words and their meaning

John Batman recorded in his journal that he had signed a treaty with the local Aboriginal people, the Wurundjeri to buy 2,000 km of land around Melbourne and another 400 km around Geelong. In exchange he gave the eight chiefs whose marks he acquired on the treaty, a quantity of blankets, knives, tomahawks, scissors, looking-glasses, flour, handkerchiefs and shirts. Under British law, the treaty was legally invalid as the land belonged to the Crown, not to the Wurundjeri. Although the treaty was declared null and void by Governor Bourke within six months of John and Henry Batman and the Port Phillip Association organising this treaty, it remains an interesting part of Melbourne's early history. Copy of Batman's Treaty of Melbourne, 1835. Original hand written on parchment in triplicate. john batman, wurundjeri, treaty of melbourne, melbourne history, batman's treaty

Silcrete and quartzite can create sharp flakes and have been important materials for stone tool making by Aboriginal AustraliansTwelve pieces of partially worked stone by Aboriginal people. Flakes or core, silcrete or quartzite. 8968.1 - Silcrete, pale material is anatase 8968.2 - Silcrete 8968.3 - Silcrete 8968.4 - Quartzite 8968.5 - Quartzite 8968.6 - Quartzite - heavily cemented on metamorphosed sandstone 8968.7 - Silcrete 8968.8 - Quartzite 8968.9 - Silcrete in sandy texture (others muddy texture) 8968.10 - Quartzite 8968.11 - Silcrete - part course, part fine, not neatly layered 8968 - 12 Silcrete - two textures - partly muddy, partly sandy stone, aboriginal, aborigines, stone tools, silcrete, quartite, flakes, tools

John Bulmer spent forty years of his life as missionary to Aboriginal people in Victoria, in 1855 devoting his activities to communities on the Murray, but most of his life was spent at Lake Tyers where he established a Church of England mission in 1862, In his later years he wrote a series of thirteen papers in which he recorded his observations on the life and times of the people to whom he ministered. Over a period of several years Alistair Campbell transliterated the manuscripts, altering a little but retaining the flavour of the original text.maps, b&w photograph, word lists, tablesgunai kurnai, gippsland, lake tyers, lakes entrance, king charley, snowy river, ellen hood, sarah moffat, lance mcdougall, kassie mcdougall, tom foster, alec mccrae, nellie blair, john bulmer, victorian history, indigenous social life, kinship, religion and mythology, bush foods

'King Billy' of Ballarat is also known as Frank Wilson, after the surname of an owner of Ercildoun Estate. He was buried in a Wesleyan burial plot at the Ballaarat Old Cemetery on 26 September 1896. The Anglican burial ceremony was organised by the community who thought 'King Billy' to be the last of his tribe. The Ballarat Star of 25 September 1896 stated: that Billy and his subjects 'once virtually owned all the land comprised of the City of Ballarat and its immediate surroundings 'so 'it can be considered only fair that six feet of ground should not be denied for his burial' The Australian Natives Association and the Australian Historical Records Society (later Ballarat Historical Society) took a major role in the burial of Frank Wilson. "As public interest and compassion grew, noteworthy citizens of Ballarat and two key Christian denominations appeared to jostle for pre-eminence in the ritual to follow. Whilst the 'venerable Archdeacon Mercer' from the Anglican Church took the funeral service, the cemetery trustees arranged that the body was placed in 'a central site in the Wesleyan section of the cemetery'. Frank was recorded as a Roman Catholic. The coffin was carried to the grave by several Methodists, including Justice of the Peace, Glenny, and Member of the Legislative Assembly, Kirton, as well as Old Colonists' and noted citizens. (https://www.academia.edu/3246304/2001_Remembering_King_Billy_Journal_of_Australian_Colonial_History_vol_3_2_61-80) Three Images relating to King Billy of Ballarat as illustrated in the Evening Echo Historical Edition 1904. * Image of a group of Aboriginal people. They are most most probably Wathaurung (Wadawurrung) . The picture includes ten standing males, two holding a boomerangs. Six females sit on the ground in front, three hold hats. A seated child wears a hat. * The burial of King Billy in the Ballaarat New Cemetery, 26 September 1896. * King Billy's Grave in the Ballaarat New Cemetery. wathaurung, wada wurrung, wathaurong, king billy, aborigines, aboriginal, frank wilson, mercer, ballaarat new cemetery, glenny, burial, mullawullah

This grinding stone (mortar) was used by Aboriginal people to grind or crush different materials such as berries and seeds for food production. In order to grind material, a smaller upper stone (the pestle) would have been used to grind material against this lower stone (the mortar). The stone was found by a farmer on land south of Donald in the 1950’s and was used as a door stop in the family home for many years. In the 1990's the stone was used by the farmer's grandaughter at her home at Swanwater West, to hold the lid down on an above ground swimming pool skimmer box. Stone

The Campsite mural features Bunjil (wedge-tailed eagle) the creator and spiritual leader for Aboriginal people of this land. The Baarlijan (platypus) is a representation of the local Aboriginal community who have come from different Aboriginal nations and have made Ballaarat their home. The circular motifs represent campsites of different sizes located across Ballaarat, indicating that Ballaarat was and continues to be an important meeting place. Campsite (2020) is a re-commissioned artwork based on the original Campsite Mural installed in Alfred Deakin Place for the Commonwealth Games in 2006. The Campsite mural features Bunjil (wedge-tailed eagle) the creator and spiritual leader for Aboriginal people of this land. The Baarlijan (platypus) is a representation of the local Aboriginal community who have come from different Aboriginal nations and have made Ballaarat their home. The circular motifs represent campsites of different sizes located across Ballaarat, indicating that Ballaarat was and continues to be an important meeting place. Commissioned by the City of Ballarat. Painted mural on six weatherproof sheetsbunjil, baarlijan, aboriginal history, ballarat history, wadawurrung

Emu eggs are perfect for decorating, painting or carving. Emu egg shells have multiple layers ranging from an inner white layer through to the dark green outer layer. The contents must be removed through a small hole (either tool drilled or poked with a needle). After the yolk has been blown out (scrambling the yolk first by poking with a needle will make it easier to remove), the egg needs to be washed through and left to drain dry. It can then be painted, carved, etched or decorated. Emu decorating is a traditional Aboriginal art. The carving of emu eggs by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people was popular in the late 19th century but production declined in the 20th century, partly due to the protection of eggs through legislation. This has been overturned in recent years with the development of commercial emu farms. In the period between the two world wars particularly, with the production of other Aboriginal artefacts for an outside market, the carving of emu eggs provided an important source of income for Aboriginal people in many parts of Australia. It was a widespread practice in the south-east and it was not unusual for Aboriginal people to decorate their own homes with carved eggs and other items created by themselves or community members, serving to affirm an Indigenous identity within the domestic environment. (ref National Gallery of Australia)This item is significant for its uniqueness and its aesthetic appeal.An emu egg which has been painted white and decorated with glued on cord/thread to make a pattern of flowers and leaves.emu-egg ornament handcraft

The white woman of Gippsland, or the captive woman of Gippsland, was supposedly a European woman rumoured to have been held against her will by Aboriginal people in the Gippsland region of Australia in the 1840s. Liam Patrick Davison (29 July 1957 – 17 July 2014) was an Australian novelist and reviewer. He was born in Melbourne, where, until 2007, he taught creative writing at the Chisholm Institute in Frankston. Davison and his wife Frankie, a teacher at Toorak College, were both killed on 17 July 2014 aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 This, his third novel, was shortlisted for both The Age Book of the Year and the Victorian Premier’s Awards.This is a useful research tool on the history of indigenous and settler relationships in early Gippsland.A book titled "The White Woman" by Liam Davison. It is the story of the search for the lost white woman in Gippsland, Victoria, 1846. The cover has a black and white picture of forest with the title in white print.Bottom left corner - orange sticker Orbost Secondary Collegedavison-liam aboriginal-history

At the crossover between placemaking and public art, this space designed and constructed by Katherine Masiulanis embeds local stories to enliven the local community centre. Masiulanis has designed the public artwork to reflect the lines of crops and ploughed fields and mountains in the surrounding landscape. The artwork also refers to the seasonal travel of Aboriginal people from Wendouree to Burrumbeet and migratory birds making a similar journey. The style of the refurbished courtyard will reflect the 1970s positivity style reflected in the Community Centre architectural design and the history of the first development of the ‘Village’. Cardigan Village is home to about 450 residents on the outskirts of Ballarat. It was established in the 70s, with all the positivity and optimism of the period.Painted walls, metal bird shapes, metal cut out wall shapes, stone bowl

Contents: 1: Introduction 2: Data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander over-representation in the criminal justice system 3: Explanations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander over-representation in the criminal justice system PART TWO : CASE STUDIES 4 : Poor Practice Case Studies - 5 : Best Practice Case Studies PART THREE: ANALYSIS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION 6: Adequacy of Information -7: Aboriginal and Police Community Relations 8: Responding to Public Drunkenness 9: Police Practices and Procedures 10: Imprisonment as a Last Resort 11: Court Processes, Legislation and Aboriginal Legal Representation 12: Aboriginal Young People and the Juvenile Justice System PART FOUR 13: Conclusion APPENDIXES Appendix 1: The recommendations of the Royal Commission most proximate to reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal people in custody Appendix 2: Methodological issues in determining over-representation Appendix 3: Details of Federal funding related to State agencies for the implementation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations.b&w illustrations, tablesaboriginal deaths in custody, criminal justice system

These eggs could be ostrich eggs from an ostrich farm which operated just out of Marlo. It is likely that they were donated by Kate and Richard Earle who ran the enterprise. Emu and ostrich eggs are perfect for decorating, painting or carving. Emu egg shells have multiple layers ranging from an inner white layer through to the dark green outer layer. The contents must be removed through a small hole (either tool drilled or poked with a needle). After the yolk has been blown out (scrambling the yolk first by poking with a needle will make it easier to remove), the egg needs to be washed through and left to drain dry. It can then be painted, carved, etched or decorated. Emu decorating is a traditional Aboriginal art. The carving of emu eggs by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people was popular in the late 19th century but production declined in the 20th century, partly due to the protection of eggs through legislation. This has been overturned in recent years with the development of commercial emu farms. In the period between the two world wars particularly, with the production of other Aboriginal artefacts for an outside market, the carving of emu eggs provided an important source of income for Aboriginal people in many parts of Australia. It was a widespread practice in the south-east and it was not unusual for Aboriginal people to decorate their own homes with carved eggs and other items created by themselves or community members, serving to affirm an Indigenous identity within the domestic environment. (ref National Gallery of Australia)This item is significant for its uniqueness and aesthetic appeal.Two painted eggs on stands. 1907.1 is painted black and has white emus or ostriches painted on it. 1907.2 is painted white and has black emus or ostriches painted on it. Both stands are wooden with brass pedestals. The eggs are possibly ostrich eggs.handcraft emu-egg ornament ostrich-egg

A handkerchief box containing newspaper cuttings from 'The Sun-News Pictorial' dated 1938, 'Wonders Of The Outback' on the beauty of and life in the outback. A series numbered 1 to 83. these clips contain photos and descriptions of Aboriginal/Indigenous People, Flora, Fauna, Lizards, Insects, land formations etc.Wonders of the outback 1938. 25 + 26 missing. Up to 83sciences, general, flora and fauna, lydia chancellor, collection, australian outback, outback, australian wildlife, wildlife, australian aborigines, aborigines, australian birds, birds, australian rock carvings, rock carvings, australian deserts, deserts, aboriginal, place, sciences, region, australia, plants, flora, fauna

CEMA Art Collection. Part of "A Community View" 150 years in Portland Screenprint Exhibition. Part of Angela Gee Residency 1983 and 1984.Laminated screenprint of a landscape with several social comments. The top of the work features a Micky Mouse symbol with dollar signs in his eyes and a speech bubble which says "We'll move the Heathland". To the left is text stating "ALCOA AIMS TO MOVE THE HEATHLAND. "AGE" 5-9-80". In the centre of the work vegetation burns, aboriginal people wave and a tractor drives below the text "THEY BURNT THE HEATHLAND 4-12-80". The lower section of the work shows two men with a red megaphone. A speech bubble comes from the megaphone which states, "I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANGUISH!" To the right of the men is a wreath of native plants with two animals (native mice?).Front: 26 B. Sharrock (lower right, image) (pencil) Back: 36

Co-author Simon Flagg from the Koorie Records Unit, Public Record Office Victoria, did most of the research for the book. Rita Watkins, a descendent of Percy and Lucy, provided photographs and family stories for the book. "As well as brief chapter introductions, the book contains transcripts of the letters to, from and about the Pepper Family. Among various aspects of the family's life, the letters show Lucy Pepper's long battle with tuberculosis and her request to live with other family members on a mission. But she was denied this natural wish because 'half-caste' Aboriginal people were excluded from the missions." -co-author Simon Flagg from the Koorie Records Unit, Public Record Office Victoria,This book, with its transcripts of original letters, is an invaluable historical resource for university and school students on Aboriginal history in Victoria and what happened on Aboriginal reserves. A book titled "Footprints", which portrays the struggles of Lucy and Percy Pepper in the first half of the twentieth century. It was published jointly by the National Archives of Australia and Public Record Office Victoria, both of which hold original records of the family's correspondence with bureaucracy over the years. The book was authored by Simon Flagg and Dr Sebastian Gurciullo. The cover has a dark brown background with black footprints printed over it. They are both bare foot and shoe prints. It has a b /w photograph of a family posed for the camera. Across the top is the title FOOTPRINTS printed in pale yellow. At the bottom of the photo in pale yellow script is "the journey of Lucy and Percy Pepper". At the foot of the front cover is " An Aboriginal Family's struggle for survival". pepper-family aboriginal-history

Tony Albert’s 2022 solo exhibition at Sullivan+Strumpf, Remark, continues the artist’s investigation into the imagery and identification of appropriated Indigenous Australian iconography in domestic decoration and design. Incorporating fabric from his extensive collection of ‘Aboriginalia’, Remark sees Albert expand on his acclaimed Conversations with Margaret Preston series dimensionality, critically engaging with the fabric in his own right. Like the fabric of Australian society, the appropriated Indigenous imagery printed on souvenir tea towels intertwines in a complicated web of national identity. These are not images by Aboriginal people and our voices and autonomy continued to be silenced through the object’s inauthenticity. As a country we must reconcile with these objects’ very existence. They are painful reiterations of a violent and oppressive history, but we also cannot hide or destroy them because they are an important societal record that should not be forgotten. As an artist this juxtaposition and tension fascinates me. Tony Albert’s multidisciplinary practice investigates contemporary legacies of colonialism, prompting audiences to contemplate the human condition. Drawing on both personal and collective histories, Albert explores the ways in which optimism can be utilised to overcome adversity. His work poses important questions such as how do we remember, give justice to, and rewrite complex and traumatic histories. Albert’s technique and imagery are distinctly contemporary, displacing traditional Australian Aboriginal aesthetics with an urban conceptuality. Appropriating textual references from sources as diverse as popular music, film, fiction, and art history, Albert plays with the tension arising from the visibility, and in-turn, the invisibility of Aboriginal People across the news media, literature, and the visual world. australian first nations art, colonialisation

Tony Albert’s 2022 solo exhibition at Sullivan+Strumpf, Remark, continues the artist’s investigation into the imagery and identification of appropriated Indigenous Australian iconography in domestic decoration and design. Incorporating fabric from his extensive collection of ‘Aboriginalia’, Remark sees Albert expand on his acclaimed Conversations with Margaret Preston series dimensionality, critically engaging with the fabric in his own right. Like the fabric of Australian society, the appropriated Indigenous imagery printed on souvenir tea towels intertwines in a complicated web of national identity. These are not images by Aboriginal people and our voices and autonomy continued to be silenced through the object’s inauthenticity. As a country we must reconcile with these objects’ very existence. They are painful reiterations of a violent and oppressive history, but we also cannot hide or destroy them because they are an important societal record that should not be forgotten. As an artist this juxtaposition and tension fascinates me. Tony Albert’s multidisciplinary practice investigates contemporary legacies of colonialism, prompting audiences to contemplate the human condition. Drawing on both personal and collective histories, Albert explores the ways in which optimism can be utilised to overcome adversity. His work poses important questions such as how do we remember, give justice to, and rewrite complex and traumatic histories. Albert’s technique and imagery are distinctly contemporary, displacing traditional Australian Aboriginal aesthetics with an urban conceptuality. Appropriating textual references from sources as diverse as popular music, film, fiction, and art history, Albert plays with the tension arising from the visibility, and in-turn, the invisibility of Aboriginal People across the news media, literature, and the visual world. australian first nations art, colonialisation

Tony Albert’s 2022 solo exhibition at Sullivan+Strumpf, Remark, continues the artist’s investigation into the imagery and identification of appropriated Indigenous Australian iconography in domestic decoration and design. Incorporating fabric from his extensive collection of ‘Aboriginalia’, Remark sees Albert expand on his acclaimed Conversations with Margaret Preston series dimensionality, critically engaging with the fabric in his own right. Like the fabric of Australian society, the appropriated Indigenous imagery printed on souvenir tea towels intertwines in a complicated web of national identity. These are not images by Aboriginal people and our voices and autonomy continued to be silenced through the object’s inauthenticity. As a country we must reconcile with these objects’ very existence. They are painful reiterations of a violent and oppressive history, but we also cannot hide or destroy them because they are an important societal record that should not be forgotten. As an artist this juxtaposition and tension fascinates me. Tony Albert’s multidisciplinary practice investigates contemporary legacies of colonialism, prompting audiences to contemplate the human condition. Drawing on both personal and collective histories, Albert explores the ways in which optimism can be utilised to overcome adversity. His work poses important questions such as how do we remember, give justice to, and rewrite complex and traumatic histories. Albert’s technique and imagery are distinctly contemporary, displacing traditional Australian Aboriginal aesthetics with an urban conceptuality. Appropriating textual references from sources as diverse as popular music, film, fiction, and art history, Albert plays with the tension arising from the visibility, and in-turn, the invisibility of Aboriginal People across the news media, literature, and the visual world. australian first nations art, colonialisation

This old apple tree situated beside the Plenty River Trail at Greensborough has been associated with Melbourne Founder John Batman. The concrete block is inscribed with the date 1841, when the tree was thought to have been planted. Known as Batman's Tree, this apple tree is on the bank of the Plenty River near Leischa Court, Greensborough. It is said that Melbourne Founder John Batman may have planted the tree and later signed his treaty here with the Aboriginal people. It still bears fruit and its recorded on the National Trust's Register of Significant Trees, as the oldest apple tree in Victoria. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p7This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, greensborough, john batman tree, plenty river trail

This is a poster advertising an art exhibition by the Warrnambool artist, Robert Ulmann. The exhibition was held in the Naringal Hall in November/December 1982. Robert Ulmann (1927-1999) was born in Zurich, Switzerland where he studied sculpture and painting. After living in Canada for some time he came to Australia in 1969. From 1970 to 1972 he was employed by the Northern Territory Administration as a manual arts instructor to the aboriginal people of Docker River west of Uluru. He exhibited extensively in city and regional galleries and won numerous awards for his artistic works. His love of wildlife extended to his interest in the Southern Right Whale and he was greatly responsible for publicizing the annual appearance of the whales at Logans Beach in Warrnambool and protecting their environment. His studio in Warrnambool is still visited by many tourists. This poster is of interest as it concerns an art exhibition of the work of Robert Ulmann, a well-known Warrnambool artist of the 20th century. This is a sheet of white paper with black edging. It is an advertisement for a Robert Ulmann Art Exhibition. The page has a sketch of three birds with Robert Ulmann’s signature underneath. robert ulmann, history of warrnambool

Barbara Weir (b. 1945-03/01/2023) Born: In the region of Utopia, North East of Alice Springs, formerly known as Derry Downs Station Language: Anmatyerre and Alywarr Country: Atnwengerrp, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory One of the Stolen Generation, Barbara Weir was removed from her Aboriginal family at the age of nine, and she was raised in a series of foster homes. Reuniting with her mother, Minnie Pwerle, in the 1960s, Weir eventually returned to her family territory of Utopia, 300 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. Active in the local land rights movement of the 1970s Barbara Weir was elected the first woman president of the Indigenous Urapunta Council in 1985. Barbara’s career as an artist was inspired by the dynamic community of artists at Utopia and the work of her adopted auntie Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Highly experimental in her approach, Barabara Weir tried many mediums before travelling to Indonesia in 1994 with other artists to explore batik technique. She returned full of ideas on how to develop her own style which has since evolved to a more expressive abstract form. Grass Seed is part of her Dreamings and is associated with women’s ceremony and the activity of food gathering of local seeds, grasses, berries, potato, plum, banana, flowers and yams. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Barbara Weir's paintings include representations of particular plants and "dreamings". Inspired by a small grass found in Utopia called Lyaw, Munyeroo or Pigsweed, Barbara's Grass Seed paintings consist of a series of small brush strokes that overlap and weave to create a swaying effect. This Dreaming tells the story of grass seed that is part of the bush tucker found in the region of Utopia. This seed is collected, crushed to a fine powder and is then used to make a bread, very similar to damper. The people of Utopia were still using this seed as late as the 1950s. During that time the seed grew in abundance but as the years passed there were very few good seeds to be found due to bullocks roaming the land and eating the grasses. The people then began to eat a substitute that the white man provided, and today very few Aboriginal people collect these seeds. art, artwork, barbara weir, aboriginal, dreaming, stolen generation, acrylic on linen