Indigenous girls at Airds High School have created a special artwork as part of a First Nations storytelling through art project.
The artwork is of a lyre bird, the local totem animal for Dharawal, known by most of us as Campbelltown.
The students sketched the bird, divided it into six pieces and were each responsible for decorating a piece in their own, unique way.
The students then brought the pieces together to form the final artwork.
The project was facilitated by the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA).
A non profit organisation, NASCA works with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on programs that improve school attendance and performance, build life skills, and strengthen cultural pride and identity.
NASCA was engaged by Big Yellow Umbrella, which provides community services, programs and activities and facilities for new housing developments.
Big Yellow Umbrella was a successful applicant of Lendlease’s Figtree Hill community grants program.
The Figtree program recognises the importance of building communities from the ground up by funding initiatives that benefit the Macarthur region through better social, environmental, and economic outcomes.
Kim Landouw from Big Yellow Umbrella, together with Uncle Pat Laughton and Uncle Larry Hill gifted the artwork to Lendlease’s Figtree Hill sales office in Macarthur Square on behalf of the students last week.
The artwork will find a permanent home in the Figtree Hill community once it is completed.
Located just 10 minutes from the centre of Campbelltown, Figtree Hill is Lendlease’s master planned community which will deliver 1,700 new homes set amongst 20 hectares of natural bushland and protected conservation areas.
“It’s wonderful to see students engaging through art and storytelling and I’d like to thank NASCA, Airds High School and Lendlease for their support and participation,’’ Kim Landouw said.
“I’d especially like to thank local elders Uncle Larry and Uncle Pat, for sharing their knowledge and guiding the students to create this unique and special art piece that represents the indigenous history of the local area.”
