Welcome to Country
My name is Barbara Simms, better known as Aunty Barb.
My father was Henry Joseph (Pat) Simms, a descendant from the Simms Timbery families of the Bidjigal, Gweagal, and Cobragal, and from the Nepean, through to Black Nellie Alonga.
My mother, Barbara Rose Dixon, was a Wandi Wandian woman from the Yuin Nation who came to live on my father’s Country when they were married.
The Bidjigal and Gweagal people have cared for, nurtured, tended and lived in harmony along the banks of the Georges River for tens of thousands of years with other well-known and prominent Aboriginal families. They were the first oyster farmers within the mangroves of the Georges River. They were the first fishers. The men fished with spears made from the stems of the grass tree (Black Boy) and gymea lilies. The women fished from bark canoes with campfires inside them for cooking the catch. They were the nurturers, birthers and storytellers.
During colonisation, Aboriginal people were forcibly displaced to live on Aboriginal Reserves/ Missions. My father was born on La Perouse Mission in 1912. My mother was born on Roseby Park Mission in 1913. I grew up on La Perouse Mission, which was government-run at the time.
As a child, my siblings and I were removed from our family in 1956. Many children were. As a survivor of the Stolen Generations and Deputy Chair of the NSW/ACT Stolen Generation Council, I am a strong advocate for basic human rights and being a voice and an advocate for the rights of Aboriginal people.
As a member of Georges River Council’s Advisory Committee, I have been proud to participate in the development of this Strategy, which I believe will foster unity and good relations to strengthen Council’s journey toward meaningful reconciliation and a united and just Australia. I believe this is what Council can do with the aims and objectives of this Strategy.
As a Bidjigal Traditional Owner, I welcome all who live, work and play in the Georges River area. I look forward to sitting down, yarning and breaking bread with you on beautiful Bidjigal Country.
DRAFT
Glossary of terms
Traditional Owners
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with ancestral ties to land, recognised as its custodians.
Culture
The customs, traditions, and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, deeply connected to land and community.
Sorry Business
Mourning practices and rituals following a death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Yarn
Informal conversation often used in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for storytelling, building respectful relationships and sharing knowledge.
Uluru Statement from the Heart
A 2017 call for a First Nations Voice to Parliament and a Makarrata Commission to oversee a process of treaty-making and truth-telling.
NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week
A week celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture, and achievements.
Reconciliation Week
An annual event promoting understanding between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and non-Indigenous Australians.
Identified Role
A job specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to improve representation.
LGA (Local Government Area)
A local council area that delivers services and works with communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups.
Statement from the Mayor
In November 2020, Council resolved to develop a plan that would provide a pathway toward a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Georges River local government area. Following initial research and consultation, Council engaged Ngurra Advisory, a wholly owned and controlled Aboriginal consultancy business, to lead the development and delivery of Council’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy.
On Monday 26 June 2023, Council reinforced this commitment by voting to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart – an invitation to all Australians to walk together to build a better future. We also partnered with local community organisations, facilitators, and interpreters to help our multicultural community to learn about the 2023 Voice to Parliament Referendum and how to participate.
Through partnering with Ngurra Advisory, Council has strengthened our relationships with Traditional Owners of the Georges River area, as well as local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community workers and residents. We have listened to and incorporated the priorities and ideas they shared through extensive consultation and engagement opportunities during the design and development phases of this strategy.
Hand in hand with the community, our vision is to support, celebrate and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities living, working, and learning in the Georges River area.
We will do this by respectfully working together to raise the profile of and address issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Council acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the First Australians of this land. We are committed to increasing knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and ongoing connection with the Georges River area.
We aim to achieve this by building strong, genuine partnerships, amplifying local voices, and creating opportunities to promote the importance of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, arts and heritages.
I am looking forward to achieving our strategic vision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Georges River area together, leading toward a brighter future.
Elise Borg
Statement from the Advisory Committee
Formed in August 2023, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee represents the voices of:
• Bidjigal Traditional Owners of the Georges River area
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents of Georges River
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have connections to Georges River (including historical connections or working in the area).
Together, we raise and provide guidance on issues important to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Georges River.
In everything we do, we are committed to honouring the legacy and ongoing connection of the Traditional Owners, the Bidjigal people of the Eora Nation, who have nurtured and cared for the Georges River area for tens of thousands of years. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.
Since the Advisory Committee’s inception, we have worked closely with Council and Ngurra Advisory to shape and refine this milestone strategy and action plan. It builds on the achievements of those who paved the way for us as members of Council’s Aboriginal Reference Group and, before that, Hurstville Council’s Aboriginal Reference Group.
We are honoured to have members of those groups as part of our membership today. They guide and motivate us to continue this journey they have begun.
This strategy has three focus areas:
1. Culture
2. Value
3. Empower
These provide the essential foundations for creating respectful and meaningful opportunities for Council and the wider community to learn about, value and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and empower local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Without recognition and respect for local cultural traditions and protocols, there can be no meaningful progress. That is why culture must be at the core of everything that flows from this strategy. We look forward to working with Council and the Bidjigal Traditional Owners of the Georges River area to develop a Cultural Protocol Guide as a priority action of this strategy.
Cultural awareness and respect underpin the development of initiatives that demonstrate that our ways of being, knowing and doing are valued, and that we are valued as members of the Georges River community.
When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and peoples are valued, genuine empowerment initiatives that aim to address the impact of generations of systemic disadvantage can be developed and succeed.
We take pride in our substantial contribution to shaping this strategy and action plan. Our commitment extends beyond its development –we actively guide and advise Council as it continuously implements it. Nothing about us, without us.
Shanelle Beazley Co-Chair Toni Golovodovski Co-Chair
General Manager’s Thank You
On behalf of Georges River Council, I am delighted to present Council’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy 2025-2030.
The Strategy has been informed by ongoing conversations and meaningful engagement with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and community, Aboriginal Consultants and staff of Georges River Council. This ensures the approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement best meets the needs and aspirations of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Georges River Council local government area.
Over the next five years, we will closely collaborate with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, key stakeholders and staff to improve awareness, encourage participation, and engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Council initiatives and programs.
I would like to thank the Bidjigal Traditional Owners, Elders and Knowledge Holders, members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee, local community, Ngurra Advisory, local service providers, Aboriginal organisations, the artist and Council staff, who contributed their time and invaluable knowledge to the development of this important strategy.
Council is extremely grateful for your knowledge sharing and feedback. The development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy would not have been possible without your participation and voices.
I am truly excited to embark on this important journey with you all.
David Tuxford General Manager
About Georges River
Georges River Council LGA is home to a diverse community of 160,000 people.
Georges River Council acknowledges these many diverse cultures, including the rich heritage of the Bidjigal people of the Eora Nation, who are the Traditional Custodians of lands, waters and sky in the Georges River area. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as an integral part of the Georges River community and value their contributions.
Snapshot of the Georges River area (2021 Census data)
152,274 people reside in the Georges River area
Year 10 or equivalent is the median education level of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents
54% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents are female 46% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents are male 41% is the employment rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents 50% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents experience long-term health conditions 10% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents have support needs
26 is the median age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents
59% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents are renters 53% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander single parents are unemployed 40% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander renters face unaffordable rent, spending more than 30% of their household income on housing costs. $$ 30% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households are single-parent families
DRAFT
Council sponsored 3Bridges NAIDOC event and showcased books from First Nations collection
2022
• A Staff Working Group for Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy was established.
• Dual place-naming provisions included in Council’s Place-naming Policy
• Installation of historical marker at Shipwrights Bay Reserve, Woodlands Ave, Blakehurst, recognises rock shelters, shell middens and carvings
• First Nations Collection established at Hurstville Library
• Danielle Mate completed a series of murals on bat caves as part of the Lower Poulton Park Naturalisation and Habitat Development project.
• Installation of historical marker for Biddy Giles at Sans Souci.
2021
Council’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP) was launched, with celebrating NAIDOC and National Reconciliation Week being high priority areas.
2024
DRAFT
2023
• Councillors voted to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
• Council hosted information stalls and hosted and supported community information sessions for the Voice to Parliament referendum.
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee was established.
• Council was awarded Highly Commended for First Nations Community Partnership Initiatives at NSW Local Government Excellence Awards.
• A Walking and Yarning on Country event with Aunty Barb Simms and Uncle Dean Kelly was held at Oatley Park to acknowledge and reflect on the significance of National Sorry Day and share about how the local landscape and native plants were used and cared for by the Bidjigal people over tens of thousands of years.
• A review of Council’s Public Art Policy led to changes that included Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property considerations and requirements for consultation to be conducted with Traditional Owners during the conceptualisation and development stages of identified public art works.
2022-23
• Cultural programs, initiatives and resources were incorporated into Council’s Early Learning Centres in partnership with Dalmarri, a Sydneybased Aboriginal-owned organisation dedicated to promoting Aboriginal culture in education.
• ‘Guraban: Where the Saltwater meets the Freshwater’ exhibition at Hurstville Museum and Gallery featured works by Dennis Golding, Nicole Monks & Jenine Boeree, Djon Mundine, Marilyn Russell and Jason Wing that responded to the significance of the Georges River area for Aboriginal people.
‘Guraban: Where the saltwater meets the freshwater’ exhibition - Marilyn Russell
2023-24
• Muruwarri artist, Virginia Keft, facilitated a series of Aboriginal weaving and yarning circles and children’s weaving workshops at Georges River Libraries, the Hurstville Museum and Gallery, and Carss Bush Park.
Danielle Mate mural
Walking and Yarning on Country
Strategic Alignment
The Georges River Council Community Strategic Plan 2022-2032 (CSP) sets out Council’s vision and future goals to be “Naturally Connected to place, community and Country”. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy has been developed in response to the CSP and to address the challenges currently facing the community. The Strategy will support Council’s strategic goals by establishing the key priorities and action areas that contribute to a more equitable, respectful community which understands, recognises and respects the Bidjigal People.
All planning at Council is conducted within the Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) framework – a mandatory framework for all NSW councils.
In developing this Strategy, Council reviewed relevant demographic statistics, existing policies and initiatives at local, state, national and global levels. These statistics, policies and initiatives continue to influence, guide and support this Strategy.
• Local - Georges River Council Social Justice Charter, Georges River Council Early Childhood Reconciliation Action Plan, Create Georges River Strategy, Integrated Planning Framework- Office of Local Government.
• State - The Constitution Act 1902 (NSW), Council is proud to address the five priority reforms set out in the New South Wales Implementation Plan for Closing the Gap through this Strategy, as recommended by the NSW Government’s Office of Local Government.
In line with our Community Strategic Plan and Integrated Reporting Framework, Council will ensure good governance and accountability by monitoring the actions within this Strategy. This will be achieved in collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and community members to ensure we are continually meeting expectations.
Regular reporting and reflections will ensure Council has a deeper understanding of the meaningful impact on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the community. This Strategy assists Council’s ongoing efforts to acknowledge the Bidjigal People’s history and celebrate their rich culture.
In addition to the actions outlined in this Strategy, Georges River Council has an overarching commitment to:
DRAFT
• National - The Australian Government’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy, Uluru Statement from the Heart, National Agreement on Closing the Gap, Voice to Parliament Referendum.
• Global - United Nations (UN) Declaration of Human Rights, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Recognise and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as First Australians
• Denounce racism and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Support reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community
• Develop meaningful and sustainable relationships with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
• Support, advocate for and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
• Promote the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Work together to take thoughtful and considered action to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Support the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
We have worked in close consultation with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to develop Council’s very first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy.
Our Engagement Principles
Council’s Community Engagement Strategy allows us to directly involve our community in the development of new ideas and processes for the things that affect them most. Community engagement does not replace the decision making functions of Council, but it does inform and guide what we do.
This Strategy has been developed through genuine and meaningful engagement with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. We have worked closely and collaborated regularly to confirm that the document accurately captures and represents what we have heard.
As we work together toward strengthening and creating sustainable relationships, we will ensure our consultation is purposeful, timely, genuine, inclusive and transparent. Council is committed to these engagement principles, which will form the foundation of implementing the action plan of this Strategy:
Recognition
Our vision is a community where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are recognised as the First Nations people of Australia and their heritages, cultures and histories are valued, celebrated and promoted.
Respect
We have a deep and ongoing respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritages and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sacred sites and special places.
Equity and access
We promote equity of access for all members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to culturally responsive services.
Participation
We work collaboratively to improve social, cultural and economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through engagement and commitment to ‘closing the gap’.
Deep listening
We listen, learn and work together respectfully as we implement a range of consultative practices to capture the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the community.
Opportunity
We seek to identify meaningful opportunities for the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the local area.
Ochre ceremony with Uncle Dean Kelly at Oatley Park, Walking and Yarning on Country event, 2024
Our Focus Areas
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy addresses outcomes across three focus areas, which have been informed through wide-ranging consultation with the community and staff.
Activities under each focus area will contribute to opportunity, empowerment, self-determination, and positive community interactions.
The three focus areas are:
1. Culture
Cultural Awareness and Immersion
We will - Actively listen to, support and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their continuing connection to culture through learning, advocacy and immersion.
Action Plan
1.1 Promote the Georges River Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy
1.1.1 Communicate Council’s strategy and commitments to all staff, key stakeholders and the wider community through a communications plan.
1.2 Provide cultural learning opportunities for staff
1.2.1 All Council staff and Councillors to undertake cultural awareness training through the onboarding process or learning and development training.
1.2.2 Develop a business case to better understand the need for a cultural learning strategy.
1.2.3 Circulate learning resources and materials to staff.
1.3 Provide cultural learning opportunities for the wider community
1.3.1 Circulate learning resources and materials to the wider community.
1.3.2 Council to host at least one cultural learning event each year for the wider community in collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and/or community organisations.
1.3.3 Ensure community capacity building events and initiatives include culturally relevant activities and accessible opportunities.
1.4 Participate in, celebrate and support cultural dates of significance
1.4.1 Raise awareness and share information among Council staff and community about cultural dates of significance through a published calendar.
1.4.2 Encourage and support staff to participate in at least one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander event per year, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
1.4.3 Partner and collaborate with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to host Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community events including annual NAIDOC Week activities.
1.4.4 Investigate creating an annual NAIDOC Week community funding program.
1.4.5 Organise and hold an annual event for National Reconciliation Week.
1.4.6 Ensure any activities undertaken for 26 January are discussed in consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee.
1.5 Use Council’s communication platforms to advocate for and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
1.5.1 Create a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander webpage on the staff intranet and continue to maintain dedicated webpage on community facing website.
1.5.2 Use social media platforms to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
1.5.3 Advocate to State and Federal Government regarding emerging needs identified through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and organisations.
1.6 Work collaboratively with Traditional Owners, Advisory Committee members and community members to respectfully share culture and history throughout the Georges River area
1.6.1 Identify wayfinding and placemaking opportunities to share knowledges, cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
1.6.2 Investigate the feasibility of an Aboriginal Heritage Study across the Georges River LGA.
1.6.3 Investigate opportunities identified in Council’s Place Naming Policy to implement dual naming of key Council assets.
1.7 Increase the visibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture in the Georges River area
1.7.1 Consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in the planning process for wayfinding, placemaking and capital works projects across the LGA.
1.7.2 Ensure the delivery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait arts and culture actions in the Public Art Policy and the Create Georges River Strategy.
1.7.3 Promote opportunities to local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural performers and artists for large-scale Council community events.
2. Value
Understanding and valuing lived experiences and knowledge
We will - Embed cultural protocols in Council’s policy documents, engagement and consultation processes through meaningful engagement and the development of appropriate strategies, programs and initiatives.
Action Plan
2.1 Demonstrate respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by way of observing and supporting cultural protocols
2.1.1 Create a cultural protocols guide with community, including and not limited to:
• Acknowledgement and Welcome to Country
• Engagement principles
• Consultation protocol
• Sorry Business
• Agreed terminology
2.1.2 Increase staff awareness and understanding of the cultural protocols guide to create a more culturally inclusive workplace.
2.1.3 Display a plaque in key Council venues acknowledging the local Traditional Owners.
2.1.4 Collaborate with and be guided by community regarding how we mark relevant dates of significance.
2.2 Increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community participation in decision-making about matters which affect the lives and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
2.2.1 Continue to support and facilitate the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee.
2.2.2 Work with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and Advisory Committee to identify priority areas for positive and meaningful change in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
2.2.3 Investigate the feasibility of financial compensation for Traditional Owners and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and community who are involved in Council consultations.
2.2.4 Identify and foster strategic conversations with neighbouring Councils.
2.3 Respect the cultural heritage and environmental needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
2.3.1 Work with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and local community to identify priorities that impact cultural heritage and environmental matters.
3. Empower
Creating opportunities for self-determination to enhance lives
We will - Create and promote meaningful opportunities that enrich the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through employment and economic opportunities.
Action Plan
3.1 Establish partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and employment providers
3.1.1 Identify suitable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and employment providers that support pathways to education and employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
3.2 Ensure that Council’s Resourcing Strategy Workforce Management Plan, supports and drives actions to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and participation in our workforce
3.2.1 Build an understanding of current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staffing to inform future employment opportunities.
3.2.2 Investigate the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff network group.
3.2.3 Provide a safe and supportive environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to yarn about cultural matters.
3.2.4 Increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees undertaking cadetships, internships, and permanent employment.
3.2.5 Support the professional development and career progression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff through mechanisms such as leadership development programs, training opportunities and mentoring.
3.2.6 Investigate creating identified roles within Council’s staffing structure.
3.2.7 Explore and implement innovative ways to recruit and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
3.2.8 Collect, measure and improve Council’s employment data, including developing systems for safely allowing people to identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander on commencement or during employment.
3.3 Review internal policies and procedures to ensure they are culturally appropriate and inclusive
3.3.1 Engage an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consultant to review relevant employment and procurement policies.
3.4 Increase use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers through Council’s procurement practices
3.4.1 Investigate preferred supplier membership of key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers.
3.4.2 Investigate membership of key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander procurement initiatives.
3.5 Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to provide programs and initiatives that positively impact the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples based on current needs
3.5.1 Continue to promote Council’s financial assistance programs, including Community Grants, to organisations which deliver services and programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Georges River area.
3.5.2 Investigate specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grants programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderled activities such as National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.
DRAFT
Aboriginal hand paintings at Oatley Park.
About the Artwork
‘Gurawal’ by Aboriginal artist, Darren Charlwood
Artist Statement about the artwork
Let me first acknowledge the Country on which we stand, its Ancestors and its Elders.
Gurawal was created for the Georges River Council, to be featured on the cover of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy.
This work would never have been made if it were not for the valuable advice and encouragement of Traditional Owner and Elder, Aunty Barb Simms.
Gurawal is a map of the estuaries of the Georges River Council as well as the surrounding area. Aunty Barb asked that I represent tools collected from the mangroves, the shoals of the annual silver mullet run, and cobra worms which are an important food source provided by the mangroves and where the Sydney suburb Cabramatta gets its name. Last, but not least, the map shows the Gurawal’s path through this part of Kamay.
I’d like to dedicate this painting to Aunty Barb Simms.
About the Artist
I am a Wiradjuri artist and educator from the Wellington area of NSW. I am deeply passionate about educating people about my culture. I follow my Ancestors’ oral traditions and pass on the knowledge I have been given in order to provide an understanding of Aboriginal cultures.
One of the ways in which I express Aboriginal activism is through Aboriginal contemporary art with an emphasis on the use of colour to convey my cultural connection and my life experiences.
My art is deeply rooted in my experiences as a Wiradjuri man, a father, a son and a member of the urban Aboriginal community of Sydney’s inner west. Within the urban context, I prefer to produce pieces which reflect my environment and I use recycled materials. This is based on the Aboriginal tradition of only using what you need from your environment.
Georges River Council acknowledges the Bidjigal people of the Eora Nation, who are the Traditional Custodians of all lands, waters and sky in the Georges River area. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who live, work and meet on these lands.
For more information on this document, please visit georgesriver.nsw.gov.au
Georges River Civic Centre
Corner MacMahon and Dora Streets, Hurstville
Phone 9330 6400
Email mail@georgesriver.nsw.gov.au
Postal address PO Box 205, Hurstville NSW 1481
georgesriver.nsw.gov.au
