Local artist celebrates culture and community with mural displayed on Shire of Dardanup building
An emerging South West artist is looking to bring the community together with their latest artwork proudly displayed on the Shire of Dardanup building.
Local artist Grace Janowicz was selected from a pool of artists to decorate the building, after they won the RCR NAIDOC Week Art Competition, an annual event held by RCR Mining Technologies.
Janowicz brought their artwork to life in a week-long live painting session in Eaton.
Titled Wanju — which means 'welcome' in Noongar language — the mural is a celebration of place, people and culture.
Shire of Dardanup president Tyrrell Gardiner said the artwork strongly resonated with the Shire's own commitment to welcome and include everyone in the community.
'Grace's mural stood out for its bold street-art style and thoughtful reflection of life in the Shire of Dardanup,' Cr Gardiner said.
'It beautifully captures an inclusive and accessible community, Aboriginal culture and connection to country, local sport and events, the Collie River, the Ferguson Valley, and the importance of the new library as a community hub.
'We're incredibly proud to display this artwork that not only highlights the skills of a brilliant young local artist, but also acknowledges the importance of connection to culture, to community, and to one another.'
Ms Janowicz said the project pushed them out of their comfort zone, but in the best possible way.
'This is my first large-scale wall painting. I usually work on realistic portraits, collages and oil paintings that explore much darker or more macabre themes, so this was a big shift for me creatively,' they said.
Janowicz used bold, vibrant blocks of colour to bring the concept to life, which the artist hoped would be uplifting and meaningful.
'When I look at the mural now, I see strong connections to community and country,' they said.
'There are so many different elements in the design. The figures are represented using traditional symbols for the people, and the river element flows like a path, leading to a central community gathering place. The Aboriginal flag is also an important focal point.'
'I wanted to create something bright and fun to look at, but also something that connects people to the cultural roots of the land.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Crocodile Hunter's dad fires up over culling proposal
The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Mr Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing on Wednesday The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Mr Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Mr Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee on Wednesday. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling program. "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Mr Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. The committee report is due in August.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Crocodile Hunter's dad fires up over culling proposal
The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Mr Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing on Wednesday The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Mr Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Mr Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee on Wednesday. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling program. "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Mr Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. The committee report is due in August.
West Australian
5 hours ago
- West Australian
Professor Fiona Stanley delivers keynote address at Broome Cluster Schools Conference
Five Broome cluster schools, Kimberley Engagement Centre and La Grange Remote Community School came together for the 2025 Broome Cluster Schools Conference on May 30, fostering cultural connections between students and the broader community. Hosted at Broome Senior High School, the annual conference also brought together educators from Broome North, Broome, Roebuck and Cable Beach primary schools for a day of reflection, learning and collective growth. Opening the conference, Professor Fiona Stanley, one of Australia's most respected researchers in child health and development, delivered a keynote speech on the importance of community-controlled initiatives in education and wellbeing. Broome Senior High School principal Mathew Burt said the event was a 'powerful expression of what's possible when schools unite with a shared purpose'. 'This conference reminds us that we are stronger together, and that culturally connected learning environments benefit every student, family and staff member in our region,' he said. The conference also hosted a range of other keynote speakers and workshop organisers including Gamilarray/Bigambul educator and consultant Stephanie Armstrong , Stronger Smarter Institute chief executive Dyonne Anderson, youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe and Nyamba Buru Yawuru chief operating officer Taliah Payne. Ms Armstrong led workshops on Uplifting Spirit And Joy and Vision, Strength And Legacy, empowering participants to reflect on post-referendum education and cultural leadership while Mr Principe challenged attendees to rethink how we educate and support young men in today's digital world. Ms Anderson shared actionable strategies for building high-expectation relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and Ms Payne shared insights into how the Yawuru community is leading culturally connected learning in the Kimberley. The day concluded with two student-led panel discussions on the conference's theme of 'The Strength of Culturally Connected Schools', giving voice to emerging leaders from local schools.
