Built on Strong Shoulders

This artwork celebrates Fifty Years of Deadly, honouring the strength, resilience, and cultural pride of First Nations communities. The arches at the base represent our ancestors - the pillars of strength who paved the way and whose shoulders we stand upon today.

Silhouetted figures represent the present - our leaders, change makers, and community members continuing the work for future generations. Three interconnected meeting places symbolise unity, connection, and communities coming together in culture and strength. These spaces speak to NAIDOC as a platform for gathering, truth-telling, and collective strength.

Elements of Country, including flowering gum, wattle, lemon myrtle, and tea tree, honour our deep spiritual connection to land and journeys of healing, while traditional people symbols woven throughout remind us of our role in guiding the next generation. Together, the work looks back with respect, stands strong in the present, and looks forward with pride – still deadly, always.

Flowing through the piece are blues and oranges symbolising the diversity of peoples and landscapes across Country, from coastlines and bushlands to rainforests and desert plains, reflecting NAIDOC as a celebration shared across all lands.