Road to respect

It was at a 2019 community meeting with Aboriginal Elders in Wodonga that Superintendent Joy Arbuthnot asked what Victoria Police could do to further improve relations between Aboriginal people and police.

“Their response to me was that they wanted to be respected and recognised as our nation’s First People,” Supt Arbuthnot said.

The first goal for Supt Arbuthnot was to ensure all police stations in the division flew the Aboriginal flag alongside the Australian flag “I hit my first hurdle there, because some of our stations didn’t even have one flagpole, let alone two," she said.

Through further discussions with the Aboriginal Elders, Supt Arbuthnot found their goals for Aboriginal youth were in the same vein as local police.

“We all wanted to create an environment that is safe and supportive so all children can reach their potential and make a positive contribution to their community,” she said.

“So that they can make a difference to the lives of other Aboriginal people.”

This was the start of a two-year journey driven by Leading Senior Constable Raquel Vogel and Senior Sergeant Mark DeHaan, who were strongly supported by many others within the division.

Their work culminated in two Victoria Police vehicles displaying a stunning artwork by Aboriginal artist David Dunn.

“The brief for the painting was that it must capture the positive intent of the relationship between police and the local Aboriginal community, and it should visually represent the local area,” Supt Arbuthnot explained.

Melissa Walkerden was appointed by Victoria Police as the Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer shortly after the project started, providing a vital link between the Aboriginal community and local police.

“Melissa has been instrumental in connecting us to our partners and played a pivotal role in bringing this project to fruition,” Supt Arbuthnot said.

Mr Dunn’s glorious painting features many symbols of Aboriginal life and lore, including three red gum trees, representing the tree of knowledge, the tree of learning and the tree of life.

Within the painting there are many depictions of police members with the Aboriginal people, including a police officer and Elder sitting down together, children being taught by Aboriginal women, with the police officers helping, and police helping young children cross the road and teaching them to be safe around water.

One of two Victoria Police vehicles showcasing the talent of artist David Dunn.

The three bridges crossing the river symbolise bridging the gap between the Aboriginal people and police officers. Mr Dunn said that doing this painting was a form of healing and a way of putting his past behind him.

“The idea of the painting was to get rid of my hatred and learn to bridge the gap again. By doing this painting, I was able to do that, to heal,” Mr Dunn said.

“I wanted this painting on police cars for my children. They live in this community and I want them to be able to contact police when they need, to not feel frightened or scared about going to police.

“If another Aboriginal person is looking at this painting, I want them to look at it and feel comfortable about going to a police officer for help, that’s what they are there for.”

The original artwork will be displayed in the Wodonga Police Station at the completion of renovations, which are currently taking place.

Editorial: Nadine Lyford Photography: Sabina Cartwright