Historical information

Hayley Millar Baker is a Gunditjmara and Djabwurrung artist. Her series I Will Survive is about the cautionary tales and bush survival stories that Millar Baker heard as a child. Her Aboriginal and migrant parents and grandparents shared warnings, myths, and ghost stories with her. As Millar Baker grew up, these stories evolved, becoming more emotionally charged with each retelling. As stories are retold, they are reformed and embellished, sometimes becoming more vivid and meaningful.

In I Will Survive, Millar Baker inserts herself into the stories. Millar Baker says, ‘Recalling memories formed in my childhood and ruminating on these stories in adulthood, I can’t help but dissect my memory’s influences and influencers, and what roles my Aboriginal and migrant parents and grandparents played in feeding lessons and myths into my subconscious.’