Bermagui Preschool creates mural to foster connection to Country during NAIDOC week

A new mural, created during NAIDOC Week, will support the children of Bermagui Preschool to foster a connection to Djiringanj Country where the preschool is found. 

 

Working with local artist and musician, Dennis Pitt, a Gamilaraay Country man who was given permission from Djiringanj elders to create an artwork featuring the stories of their land. 

 

Mr Pitt incorporated ideas for the contemporary artwork given to him by the children, saying he is simply a vehicle for “putting their ideas together.” 

 

The mural depicts the mother mountain, Gulaga, a Yuin warrior looking up at the mountain, the totem of the Yuin, the black duck, the entrance of Wallaga Lake, and a number of animals from the local area. 

 

While the children have loved the work as a whole, their favourite additions are the turtle and the stingray, with the artwork already being used in the daily conversations amongst children and educators as they learn the names of the animals in the mural in Djiringanj language.

 

To read the original coverage of this story, and see the artwork, please see here.