An unframed square acrylic-on-canvas painting in tones of green and white forming an abstract botanical pattern that radiates out from the centre. A renowned Anmatyerre artist from Utopia, Northern Territory, Petyarre’s work carries more than pigment—it holds a lineage of care. These sweeping, rhythmic brushstrokes represent Kurrajong leaves and other medicinal plants traditionally gathered and prepared by women healers. Passed from grandmother to granddaughter, these practices are a form of medicine beyond the clinical. They speak of country, ceremony, and community. They evoke breath, movement, and the cyclical nature of wellbeing. Hand painted on reverse. "JEANNIE PETYARRE 60X60" Handwritten on reverse. "(Sister of Gloria Petyarre) / "Medicine Leaves" 2005. / Presented to ANZCA by Prof. Michael Cousins 16/6/06"oil paint, acrylic paint, floral, floral design, botanical design, abstract art, indigenous artists, first nations artists, australian artists, australian art

The cross design in refinding tomorrow represents a converging of pathways – pathways of connection that are coming together to ultimately form a whole. The crossroads is a powerful symbol of a moment in time, a positive reminder of the past and a chance to ponder the future. There is movement through time in these designs and a chance that something lost will be found again. I trust that I will always carry with me in my heart, body and spirit, the wisdom of knowledge from my ancestors.Lisa Waup is a mixed-cultural First Nations artist and curator who was born in Narrm (Melbourne). Her multidisciplinary practice encompasses a diverse range of media including weaving, printmaking, sculpture, fashion, and digital art. With a deep connection to the symbolic power of materials, Lisa’s work reflects her personal experiences, family history, Country, and broader historical narratives. Through her practice, Lisa weaves together threads of lost history, ancestral relationships, motherhood, and the passage of time – which culminates in contemporary expressions that speak to her past, present and future. Lisa Waup holds a Master of Contemporary Art from the University of Melbourne and her work is held in both public and private collections in Australia and internationally. australian first nations art, indigenous art, identity, cultural story, women in art

The cross design in refinding tomorrow represents a converging of pathways – pathways of connection that are coming together to ultimately form a whole. The crossroads is a powerful symbol of a moment in time, a positive reminder of the past and a chance to ponder the future. There is movement through time in these designs and a chance that something lost will be found again. I trust that I will always carry with me in my heart, body and spirit, the wisdom of knowledge from my ancestors.Lisa Waup is a mixed-cultural First Nations artist and curator who was born in Narrm (Melbourne). Her multidisciplinary practice encompasses a diverse range of media including weaving, printmaking, sculpture, fashion, and digital art. With a deep connection to the symbolic power of materials, Lisa’s work reflects her personal experiences, family history, Country, and broader historical narratives. Through her practice, Lisa weaves together threads of lost history, ancestral relationships, motherhood, and the passage of time – which culminates in contemporary expressions that speak to her past, present and future. Lisa Waup holds a Master of Contemporary Art from the University of Melbourne and her work is held in both public and private collections in Australia and internationally. australian first nations art, indigenous art, identity, cultural story, women in art

Exhibited by the artist at the Wood, Wine & Roses Festival, Heywood, 2004.Aunty Betty King was a Kerrup Jmara Elder from Portland. She was the great grand-daughter of King Billy of Yigar. Aunty Betty cared deeply about Nyamat Mirring and Country. A staunch activist and long-time advisor to the Friends of the Earth, Aunty Betty King and Sandra Onus worked together to fight against the logging of native forest in the Cobboboonnee taking part in protests and meetings.Acrylic paint on canvas depicting birds and fish, water lilies and other vegetation, and stylised designs associated with early settlement of Aboriginal people in the Portland/Glenelg wetland area. Black painted border with white dot pathways, a circle of white dots in each of the four corners. Centre area in blues and greens featuring two birds, painted in black with red and ochre bandings.Front: nilgunditjmara, first nations, nyamat mirring, glenelg shire cultural collection, portland, female artist, female artists, heywood

The Creation Serpent is the central image moving through the land. As well as being the creator of the land, it's whole image, coloured blocks and individual dots represent the Gunditjmara Nation, tribal groups and individual clans respectively. The four hands in the corners mark all peoples who at present form our community. They show the people that live on the land in the north, south, east and west of the Shire. The two shaded hands in the background represent the spirit of the old people living within the land. They not only point to the law which governs the country but also remind us of the spirits of those elders whose lives were lost both in battle and in life itself.This artwork was the cover art chosen for the Memorandum of Understanding between the Glenelg Shire Council and Indigenous Communities of 2005. Danny Lovett is a Gunditjmara artist.An image of a serpent in the centre of the work. The serpent is depicted in white dots. Its body has sections of yellow and blue. It's head is burgundy. Surrounding the serpent in each corner there are four handprints. The background of the work is painted blue, red and yellow areas which look sponged. Surrounding the artwork is a border of black and white also with a sponged effect. It is framed in dark brown plain wood.first nations, aboriginal art, serpent

Set of two Newspaper clippings from The Courier, Ballarat, 8 July 2021 .1 - titled "Congratulations to the Ballarat Tramway Museum on receiving $1.2m from the Andrews Government for track replacement.". Item sponsored by Juliana Addison MP. Has a photo of 10 people alongside Geelong No. 2 at the time of the announcement. .2 - "First Nations Art on the move" - featuring a photo of a B class tram, by Deanne Gilson (local Ballarat artist) and Thomas Marks. Photo by James Morgan.art work, transporting art, b class

The City of Brimbank Council hosts annual NAIDOC Week celebrations honour the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These events form a major part of Brimbank’s commitment to recognising Traditional Custodians and strengthening community understanding. The 2025 National Theme was "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy". Australia's NAIDOC Week exists to celebrate, recognise, and honour the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is one of the most important national observances for First Nations recognition. The main purpose of Australia's NAIDOC Week is to: - Celebrate First Nations culture and achievements - Educate all Australians - Promote unity and participation. - Recognise excellence through awards. - Support First Nations artists. - Honour a long history of activism and cultural pride. NAIDOC is both a celebration and a call to continue the work of recognition, justice, and cultural strength. 4781.01 - Brimbank City Council NAIDOC Week - 2025 Poster.jpg Uncle Shane Charles, Aunty Marjory Jean Mason & Aunty Lee-Anne Clarke 4781.02 - Brimbank City Council 2025 NAIDOC Week - Elders Share Artistic Talent.jpg Uncle Shane Charles, Aunty Marjory Jean Mason & Aunty Lee-Anne Clarke 4781.03 - Brimbank City Council 2025 NAIDOC Week - Celebrating NAIDOC Week.jpg Cr. Victoria Borg, Cr. Kathleen Nikolic, Cr. Virginia Tachos, Cr. Kim Thien Truong, Cr. Daniel Kruk, Mayor Cr. Thuy Dang, Aunty Lee-Anne Clarke, Uncle Shane Charles, Dr. Helen Bodycomb, Fraser MP Dr. Daniel Mulino & Rose Bruhn. 4781.04 - Brimbank City Council 2025 NAIDOC Week - The Hunt Club Gallery.jpg 4781.05 - Brimbank City Council 2025 NAIDOC Week - The Hunt Club Gallery.jpg 4781.06 - Brimbank City Council 2025 NAIDOC Week - The Hunt Club Gallery.jpg 4781.07 - Brimbank City Council 2025 NAIDOC Week - The Hunt Club Gallery.jpg aboriginal, first nation, naidoc, aunty jean mason, uncle shane charles, aunty lee-anne clarke, the hunt club and community arts centre, ballarat road, deer park

merri-bek public art collection

Three panels with references to First Nation People, Creek & Industrial ThemesSunshine Magistrate Court Sculpture Commission, Title: "Vertical Paddock", Artist: Kate McCaughey, Date: October 1999sunshine magistrates court, foundry road, sunshine

After the completion of the carvings of these 6 large Basalt Blue stone Boulders they placed in a permanent position on the Kororoit Creek Trail on the west side of the creek approximately halfway between Derby Road and Wright Street. |What is Walan-walan? Walan-walan is a sculpture project at The Bug Rug by Fiona Clarke & Kenneth McKean Walan-walan means circle /round in Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language. The circle has more than one meaning in First Nations cultures. In this case it represents the annual cycle of the year. Other important meanings include as a symbol for a meeting place or a body of water. The sculptures forming the circle are based on animal elemental signs of nature from local Aboriginal seasons. Wumangurruditj - Wombat, Ilk - Eel, Common Brown Butterfly, Gurrborra - Koala, Pied Currawong, Goanna and Buliyong - Bat. Many First Nations stories handed down over thousands of years often included mention of stars. Fiona and Ken have added glow in the dark resin to the artworks. This will gently illuminate them at night giving them a constellatory effect. The circle is relatable in many cultures. Walan-walan is a place where people come to sit and learn or simply to talk and rest in nature. It has many uses but will firstly honour the original First Nations Custodians past, present and future, who took extremely good care of this land for 60k + years. Ref: Friends of the Kororoit Creek3008.01 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Artists (L-R) Kenneth McKean & Fiona Clarke 3008.02 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Artists engraving a rock 3008.03 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Artists examining an engraved rock 3008.04 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Artists washing an engraved rock 3008.05 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Artist Fiona Clarke washing an engraved rock 3008.06 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Engraved rock 3008.07 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Engraved rock 3008.08 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Engraved rock 3008.09 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Rocks on palents prior to engraving 3008.10 - The Walan-walan 'Bug Rug' Sculptor - Collection of miscelleous photographsaboriginal, aborigine, first nation, kororoit creek, sunshine west

Sue Reid is a non-Indigenous Australian textile artist. With permission, and in collaboration with Elder Aunty Cynthia Hardie, Reid reproduced original drawings by Yorta Yorta man Troy Firebrace using acrylic paint, hand embroidery and machine quilting, to acknowledge and celebrate the world's oldest continuous living cultures, those of the First Nations peoples in Australia. This work was acquired as the winner of the Golden Textures art quilt exhibition at Central Goldfields Art Gallery in Maryborough, Victoria in 2019. Held bi-annually at the Gallery, the Golden Textures Award Exhibition celebrates the region’s long connection with textile craft and textile manufacturing, especially in the early to mid-20th Century. Rights: © Sue Reid. Reproduced with permission of the artist. Artwork photographer: Megan Cardamone

first nations artist, sculpture, dog, ku, animal, pet

first nations artist, sculpture, dog, ku, animal, pet

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work on paper, photograph, inkjet, first nations artist, female artist, self portrait, clones, binoculars, ocean, sea, rocks, shoreline

work on paper, photograph, inkjet, first nations artist, female artist, self portrait, clones, rocks, hair

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Commemorates the tenth anniversary (2012) of the independence of East Timor, achieved on 20 May 2002. The people of the first new nation of the century suffered some of the worst atrocities and trauma of modern times in their struggle for self-determination. Honours the spirit of the East Timorese people and their connection to BallaratThe artwork is of aesthetic and interpretative significance to the people of BallaratCorten metal laser cut sculpture2012 Australia East Timor Association (Ballarat) honours the spirit of the East Timorese People on the tenth anniversary of the restoration of their Independence. Artist, Marqy da Costa, Afalyca Art Baucau, East Timoreast timor, independence

Australian First World War recruitment poster. This poster was part of the First World War Australian Government Recruiting Kit. Recruitment posters were prolific in Australia throughout the First World War. Australia relied solely on voluntary recruits to serve in the AIF. Compulsory military service, or conscription, for eligible men was in force in Australia from 1911, however, these forces were for home defence and could not be used to serve in a war overseas. Following the initial rush of men to recruit in 1914, enrolments dropped, leaving federal and state governments to devise sophisticated campaigns to boost numbers.Norman Lindsay (1879-1969) was a painter, draughtsman, illustrator, cartoonist, printmaker, writer and sculptor. He joined the Sydney 'Bulletin' magazine as a staff artist, 1901-09, 1910-23 and 1932-58. During the First World War he produced jingoistic cartoons and pro-conscription posters. The is one of the series of six posters by Lindsay constituting the last nation-wide Australian recruiting campaign. A coloured poster of soldier sounding his bugle for assistance on the front line while civilians listen in the background.recruitment poster, norman lindsay, ww1

Standing proud, still here, the spirit of ten ancestral matriarchs adorned in contemporary ceremonial cloaks. Representing our women past, present and future, her Spirit, our culture, our Country (spelt with a capital for its importance and this is part of First Peoples protocols on acknowledging Country, our strength, our resilience and healing towards a sustainable future). The colours of this cloak refer to natural pink ochre and indigenous flowering plants on Wadawurrung Dja. The pink ochre is sourced by Deanne Gilson at Black Hill in Ballarat, Victoria. Men also made woven dilly bags to hold their possessions in. The basket making was an ongoing aspect of daily life for Wadawurrung people and often done in cooler months when the weather was too bad to go outside. Many women and family groups had their own style and techniques that were traded amongst other groups. Wadawurrung women had a particular stitch they used and incorporated elaborate symbols into the basket designs. Tammy Gilson’s weaving represents this stitch. This cloak pays homage to them and the changing seasons as they created, particularly the cooler months leading into the warmer season when several gum blossom flower. This cloak was worn once by artist Deanne Gilson at a formal opening at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in 2022. A Welcome to Country ceremony was performed while wearing it.Pink native flower in baskets motif on a pink background on outer cloak, pink and white diamond and circle design in lining. Solid black trimming. Cloak is machine sewn and handstitched with hand stitching on shoulder seam.deanne gilson, wadawurrung dja, first nations art

Standing proud, still here, the spirit of ten ancestral matriarchs adorned in contemporary ceremonial cloaks. Representing our women past, present and future, her Spirit, our culture, our Country (spelt with a capital for its importance and this is part of First Peoples protocols on acknowledging Country, our strength, our resilience and healing towards a sustainable future). The black swan cloak refers to the black swan of Geelong and Ballarat were the swan has had its own fight to survive during the early colonial years where white swans were introduced by colonisers and the black swan fought back as they do not naturally get along. The wave pattern is taken from a traditional shield pattern held in the Melbourne Museum, South Eastern archive collection of shields. The wave refers to the water and travelling across water to fish, hunt and survive. This cloak is about survival, water, and the swan living on the water. It also refers to a contemporary dance of Kunuwarra the black swan, which was performed by a group Wadawurrung women (including artist Deanne Gilson) for Tanderrum (Melbourne – Naarm) in 2016. The dance is available to watch on youtube.Black swan, heart motif with water design on outer cloak, female figure and red native flower design on lining. Solid black trimming. Cloak is machine sewn and handstitched with hand stitching on shoulder seam.deanne gilson, first nations art, wadawurrung dja

John Ash succeeded Thomas Harrison as the Australian Note Printer in 1927 and oversaw the printing of a new series of banknotes, known as the Ash Series. First issued between 1933 and 1934, the new banknotes sought to improve the currency's resistance to counterfeiting. A special watermark was created to increase the security of the new series. Shaped as a medallion, the watermark showed the profile of Edward, the Prince of Wales. A new portrait of the King was also introduced, depicting him frontally rather than in profile as he had appeared in the prior banknotes of the Harrison Series (1923-1925). The back of each denomination contained an individual vignette that reflected a sector of the country's economy. The wool and agricultural industries were represented, as they had been in the first series of the nation's banknotes (1913-1914), and they were joined by manufacturing and commerce. The prominent British sculptor, Paul Montford, contributed to the design of the new series. Recognised for his sculptural works on the exterior of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, Montford was commissioned to produce relief sculptures that formed the basis of the banknotes' vignettes. His sculptures were translated into wash drawings by Frank Manley, the artist and engraver for the Commonwealth Bank's Note Printing Branch. Manley accentuated the sculpture's three-dimensional qualities with deep shadows and touches of illusionism. A sheep in Montford's pastoral scene, for example, stands forward from the frame as if entering the viewer's space to escape branding and Manley preserves this visual conceit in his drawing. Whereas the printing of the previous series of Australian banknotes had been criticised for its poor definition, the sculptural basis of the Ash Series clarified the banknotes' imagery. During a period of record unemployment, the scenes emphasised the strength of the human figure in gestures of labour, evoking classical, heroic qualities in their poses. The sculptural forms suggested stability in the turbulence of the Great Depression and imparted a sense of solidity to paper currency. - museum.rba.gov.auCommonwealth of Australia paper one pound note in green and white tones depicting graphics and text. The obverse has a framed design with a blank portal to the left and King George VI in the right portal. The centre shows the Australian Coat of Arms, serial number, and detail over one pound symbol on a mosaic background, with signatories below. The reverse features a framed pastoral scene with farmers tending sheep, with a blank portal to the right.Obverse: ONE / 1 / 1 / ONE / COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA / K / 58 / 790230 / K / 58 / 790230 / This Note is legal tender for / ONE POUND / in the Commonwealth and in all / Territories under the control of the / Commonwealth. / [signature] / GOVERNOR / COMMONWEALTH BANK ON AUSTRALIA / [signature] / SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY Reverse: 1 /1 / 1 / 1 / PASTORALcurrency, money, pound note, pastoral scene, industry, commonwealth of australia, paul montford, king george vi, frank manly, john ash

John Ash succeeded Thomas Harrison as the Australian Note Printer in 1927 and oversaw the printing of a new series of banknotes, known as the Ash Series. First issued between 1933 and 1934, the new banknotes sought to improve the currency's resistance to counterfeiting. A special watermark was created to increase the security of the new series. Shaped as a medallion, the watermark showed the profile of Edward, the Prince of Wales. A new portrait of the King was also introduced, depicting him frontally rather than in profile as he had appeared in the prior banknotes of the Harrison Series (1923-1925). The back of each denomination contained an individual vignette that reflected a sector of the country's economy. The wool and agricultural industries were represented, as they had been in the first series of the nation's banknotes (1913-1914), and they were joined by manufacturing and commerce. The prominent British sculptor, Paul Montford, contributed to the design of the new series. Recognised for his sculptural works on the exterior of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, Montford was commissioned to produce relief sculptures that formed the basis of the banknotes' vignettes. His sculptures were translated into wash drawings by Frank Manley, the artist and engraver for the Commonwealth Bank's Note Printing Branch. Manley accentuated the sculpture's three-dimensional qualities with deep shadows and touches of illusionism. A sheep in Montford's pastoral scene, for example, stands forward from the frame as if entering the viewer's space to escape branding and Manley preserves this visual conceit in his drawing. Whereas the printing of the previous series of Australian banknotes had been criticised for its poor definition, the sculptural basis of the Ash Series clarified the banknotes' imagery. During a period of record unemployment, the scenes emphasised the strength of the human figure in gestures of labour, evoking classical, heroic qualities in their poses. The sculptural forms suggested stability in the turbulence of the Great Depression and imparted a sense of solidity to paper currency. - museum.rba.gov.auCommonwealth of Australia paper one pound note in green and white tones depicting graphics and text. The obverse has a framed design with a blank portal to the left and King George VI in the right portal. The centre shows the Australian Coat of Arms, serial number, and detail over one pound symbol on a mosaic background, with signatories below. The reverse features a framed pastoral scene with farmers tending sheep, with a blank portal to the right.Obverse: ONE / 1 / 1 / ONE / COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA / K / 58 / 790230 / K / 58 / 790230 / This Note is legal tender for / ONE POUND / in the Commonwealth and in all / Territories under the control of the / Commonwealth. / [signature] / GOVERNOR / COMMONWEALTH BANK ON AUSTRALIA / [signature] / SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY Reverse: 1 /1 / 1 / 1 / PASTORALcurrency, money, pound note, pastoral scene, industry, commonwealth of australia, paul montford, king george vi, frank manly, john ash

This work is from a series centred around the Chinese proverb “to hold a book in one’s hand is to hold a house of gold” in which the artist positions himself within sites of colonial power. Set within the National Wool Museum gallery, the artist references the pose of an exhausted shearer after a long day of arduous labour. However he is reclining while reading The Fire Stick by Wulla Merrii, a novel set against the 1891 Queensland Shearer’s Strike, questioning cultural stereotypes and how they pertain to concepts of work and leisure. Dressed in sub fusc, his official uniform as an Oxford scholar, Thompson is a defiant intellectual challenging past and continued misperceptions of First Nations people, while embracing both the intersections of his identity and his ancestral heritage. Dr Christian Thompson AO is a Bidjara man of the Kunja Nation with Irish and Chinese heritage. His practice spans across video, photography, sculpture, textiles, performance and sound, evolving through a process of auto – ethnography. While employing various modes of research, he connects his own experience to larger social, political, cultural meanings and understandings. His doctoral research and art practice has had a critical impact on International and Australian art, making global history as one of the first Australian Indigenous students at Oxford University. In 2018 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished services to the visual arts and as a role model to young indigenous artists in the Queen’s Birthday honours list.Framed photograph showing a man dressed in an academic gown, laying on their back holding a book. The setting is a reconstructed shearing shed, inside the galleries of the National Wool Museum.dr christian thompson, first nations, artwork, photography, oxford, heritage, national wool museum

Waa Waa – Crow Feathers is a painting from Aunty Marlene Gilson’s 2022 exhibition ‘Bunjil Wour Kun Ya – Spirit of My Ancestors’. This work tells the story of Waa-Waa, the first Wadawurrung to see a white man, Matthew Flinders and his crew surveying the southern Australian coastline near the You Yangs on 1 May 1802. Speaking to Wyndham Art Gallery’s curatorial framework themes of Foregrounding, Habitat and Localism, the work portrays in Wadawurrung lore the first sighting of a European and acknowledges Australian First Nations peoples original and ongoing connections with land, history, politics and knowledges of place. The scene is overlooking the You Yangs which is deeply connected with the local place and habitat of the Werribee Plain. Aunty Marlene Gilson is a Wathaurung (Wadawarrung) Elder living on country in Gordon, near Ballarat. Marlene Gilson’s multi-figure paintings work to overturn the colonial grasp on the past by reclaiming and re-contextualising the representation of historical events. Learning her Wathaurung history from her grandmother, Gilson began painting while recovering from an illness. The artist’s meticulously rendered works display a narrative richness and theatrical quality akin to the traditional genre of history painting. Gilson, however, privileges those stories relating to her ancestral land, which covers Ballarat, Werribee, Geelong, Skipton and the Otway Ranges in Victoria. Often including her two totems, Bunjil the Eagle and Waa the Crow, Gilson’s paintings not only reconfigure historical narratives, but display her spiritual connection to Country. australian first nations art, cultural story, australian painting, wathaurung, female artist

This artwork is a story of life over coming darkness. Rebirth and renewal. As a Bunurong person this story means a lot to my people, this represents community past, present and future and the struggles we have had to overcome to become the people we are today in the world we are today. Kobi Summers is a young emerging Aboriginal Artist, who is a Proud Bunurong Man living in Melbourne. He specialises in Digital Art, Contemporary aboriginal Canvas Art, Mural Art and Clothing Art.australian first nations art, bunurong, cultural story