Snapshots of Aboriginal Fitzroy

Addendum: A Snapshot of Aboriginal Public Art in Yarra

A number of other public art projects have been produced in partnerships with local Aboriginal organisations and groups over the past few years.

Shelter 2 by Lyn Thorpe

In 2001 Yarra Council provided funding to the Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria, through the Community Grants scheme, to commission a commemorative stain glass window at Scotchmer Street, North Fitzroy, by artist Lyn Thorpe.
Shelter 2 by Lyn Thorpe was commissioned by the Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the organisation, launched in May 2002.

Shelter 2, Scotchmer Street, North Fitzroy. Photo: Aboriginal Housing Board Collection

Accompanying text for the artwork:
“Mother Earth is our Shelter. She provides for us and nurtures our physical needs. She sustains Identity, Spirituality and Connection to Country. She is our Shelter and in ‘Our Special Place’ her healing spirit empowers us to be True to Ourselves, Our Families and Our Heritage.”

The Cave by BEEM artists (Gary Smith, Mary Hassell, Christobel Williams, Nichole Nash, Leonard Lovett, Tracey Briggs, Megan Evans and Eugene Lovett)

Yarra Council has also been the auspice body for an Art and Environment project funded by Vichealth. The project has lead to the creation of the Collingwood Housing Estate Arts Committee (CHEAC), and the commission of a major mural at the Collingwood Underground Carpark arts space, by the BEEM artists.

The Cave mural by BEEM artists took two years to complete and forms the gateway to the Collingwood Underground Carpark arts space at the Collingwood Housing Estate. The detailed and expansive artwork explores the Aboriginal themes of creation of life. The wings of the eagle Bunjl, the Creator of Life, are spanned above the cave depicting the elements of life: the sun, moon, wind, water, earth and fire.

The surrounding landscape depicts indigenous flora, fauna and traditional ways of life. As a man takes aim with a spear in the tall grasses, blackboys dot the desert-scape. Many types of birds appear throughout the imagined scene, with brolgas, galahs, swans and magpies all taking part in the mural. The magpies, an iconic bird of the area, represent the Parkies and the residents of the Collingwood Housing Estate.

The plaque dedicates the mural to the community and remembers the Parkies who have met around the area in the past.

The mural was funded by: Vichealth, City of Yarra and the Office of Housing, with further support from Collingwood Neighbourhood House and CHEAC. It was launched in 2004.

Composite image of the mural The Cave
Blackboys, The Cave (detail)	Brolgas, The Cave (detail)

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Further information

Access Yarra
Telephone 9205 5555
Email info@yarracity.vic.gov.au

Links

Within this site
Yarra City Council

External sites (Yarra City Council accepts no responsibility for the information or opinions contained within external sites)
Dictionary of Aboriginal place names of Victoria
Gary Foley's Koori History Website
Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria
Aboriginal Health Service

Information supplied by: Electronic communications & design officer - 9205 5214

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