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At Californian Gully Kindergarten, a new Indigenous mural is in pride of place, located front and centre at the entry to the kinder.
Kerri Douglas, Dja Dja Wurrung and Bangerang Aboriginal artist, unveiled the kinder’s new mural at a special event held at the end of term two. The beautiful 2.4m piece is located at the entrance, welcoming all.
Bright winter sunshine was the order of the day, as a large group gathered to celebrate the completion and installation of the artwork.
Local Indigenous families, children and staff were all included in the creative process and are extremely proud and excited to see it displayed.
After a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, Kerri thanked all those involved and spoke about the importance of storytelling, in her own family and broader community. These teachings and stories are still shared today.
The idea for the mural came from the team at the kinder, who had been looking for further ways to show their passion and commitment in incorporating Indigenous perspectives in their program.
Created through a collaborative process over many months, the team worked with Kerri to develop the design.
It was especially important to all involved to include ideas and input from children currently attending the service and to show how the kindergarten is linked to the community.
A number of sessions were conducted by Kerri, seeking input along the way and building on learning. Symbols representing people, a meeting place and a variety of animals and their tracks were introduced to the children and discussed. The kinder children were also involved in the selection of colours used and watched the plans for the design evolve.
Kerri explained the story depicted in the mural to those gathered, “This story was created by a group of children. It tells the story of a kinder, of a special meeting place where children and the adults supporting them can all come together to celebrate who we are. Our uniqueness, our differences, and our similarities, all while honouring the Dja Dja Wurrung land that we learn and grow on.”
The final piece shows different sized people representing the children, families, and community members, with tracks all leading to the meeting place – Californian Gully Kindergarten.
“Thank you to all the little people who opened their hearts and minds to let me paint their ideas. The experience of painting this mural with the guidance of the children fills my cup,” Kerri added.
Karen Reeves, Teacher at Californian Gully Kindergarten said, “This journey has been an exciting one for children, educators and families and we are thrilled with the outcome that we can now share with the wider community.”
Read more about Californian Gully Kindergarten here.
