The reveal coincides with both National Reconciliation Week 2023 and the start of Makuru, one of the six seasons that make up the Noongar calendar.
Noongar people recognise the changing seasons not by date, but by the transformations in the physical environment. These changes indicate when it’s time to migrate, hunt certain animals and employ land management strategies.
Being a remand facility, prisoners generally reside at Melaleuca for shorter periods. Fortunately, this did not impact the mural’s progress which was guided by a dedicated group of budding artists and supported by the education team. When new prisoners arrived, they were welcomed into the fold, to help with the Noongar artwork irrespective of their cultural background.
“It really was a collaborative piece of work,” said Gurmeet Singh, Campus Manager. “The Indigenous women embraced the non-Indigenous women, encouraging each other and working together.”
Enhancing their existing knowledge with researching Aboriginal history online, the women worked together to develop the blueprint for the artwork.
“A lot of the ladies got confidence because they were unsure of what to do, where to put their piece,” said one prisoner/artist. “And we were just like ‘here, have some paint!’“.
The women at Melaleuca have delivered on the spirit of National Reconciliation Week by sharing important history and culture with others through a beautiful artwork.
