Latest news with #SouthEastAustralia
ABC News
5 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Renowned First Nations artist Maree Clarke says designing Australia's biggest 3D tapestry is a 'huge honour'
Maree Clarke is on a clear mission: to preserve South-East Australian Aboriginal culture using the power of art. The latest, groundbreaking example of this is Welcome to Country — Now You See Me: Seeing the Invisible. It's a colossal 10-metre wide, 4.2-metre high tapestry work — Australia's largest 3D tapestry and the result of more than 10,000 hours' work. The renowned Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba, Mutti Mutti and Boonwurrung artist and curator says Welcome to Country is a revival of practices that showcase "our stories and design sensibilities" and "speak to the present while honouring the past". "Aboriginal cultural practices were never lost — they simply waited to be woken," she tells ABC Arts. Clarke has played a pivotal role in creating Welcome to Country, using both traditional weaving practices and contemporary tools and techniques. The completion of the project, which took 14 months to make, is one of the most rewarding moments of her career. "Seeing our stories take form in this monumental way is a huge honour," Clarke says. This landmark work is a collaborative effort, designed by Clarke alongside her great nephew and mentee, Boonwurrung/Barkindji man Mitch Mahoney. "[He's] a thoughtful young father, a brilliant artist, and someone deeply connected to culture," she says. Their shared vision was realised through the expertise of 12 skilled weavers from the Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW), a 50-year-old cultural institution dedicated to contemporary textile arts and tapestry weaving. Work was led by master weaver Chris Cochius and senior weaver Amy Cornall. The work's design references the delicate imagery of microscopic river reeds, and is inspired by the traditional river reed necklaces once bestowed upon travellers crossing Country; the necklaces carry meaningful symbols of safe passage and friendship. Welcome to Country is honouring and continuing a longstanding tradition of cultural hospitality and care; deep values of connection, protection and community can all be read into this tapestry. Clarke and Mahoney never envisioned themselves creating a tapestry, but after an initial meeting with the ATW and witnessing their sample weaves, they were "blown away by their accuracy", Clarke says. The experience inspired them to pursue a project they had never thought possible, and "to dream as big as you can dream". In April 2024, when Clarke first approached the ATW, the prospect of translating a complex cultural motif into a woven masterpiece seemed daunting. Extensive conversations and workshopping followed and, a year later, the challenging project transformed into what Cornall describes as "joyful work". "It involves continuous decision-making about shapes and colours, constantly referring back to the original image to ensure everything stays consistent," she explains. Aligning and arranging vertical threads in line with the original drawing requires relentless adjustment. "We spend pretty much all day going back and forth, physically working through the details," Cornall says. Progressing at a steady pace of approximately 10 centimetres per week, the weaving team engaged in a disciplined daily routine, demonstrating unwavering commitment to every stitch and detail. Cornall points out the physicality of the process, highlighting the human touch at every stage — from selecting and custom-dyeing some of the 368 yarns, each carefully carried from the ATW store, to the intricate stitching and weaving. This intense physical effort leaves little room for error, ensuring the artistry remains authentic and imbued with human intention. "Every day is like making a thousand decisions," Cornall says. The end result is a vibrant tapestry of human labour, where every choice — colours, textures, and techniques — contributes to a work that is as much about cultural storytelling as it is about craft. Clarke's design carries profound symbolic weight, especially within the context of its placement in the new Footscray Hospital in Melbourne's inner west. In a hospital, often the place of beginnings and farewells, the work becomes a gift, offering a visual and symbolic gesture of "safe passage to those arriving and those departing", Clarke says. Clarke wanted to infuse the hospital space with cultural warmth and welcome. "We wanted everyone walking into the hospital to feel a sense of being welcomed to Country." Under the microscope, the delicate reeds that inspired the motif reveal entire landscapes — rivers, waterways, hills, and skies — symbolising life and its many journeys. Furthermore, she says, "Embedding Indigenous stories in everyday environments — like hospitals — helps normalise and celebrate our presence, knowledge and history in the places we all share."
Trade Arabia
12-05-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Fertiglobe to acquire Wengfu Australia's distribution assets
Fertiglobe, the world's largest seaborne exporter of urea and net ammonia combined, the largest nitrogen fertilizer producer in the Middle East and North Africa region, and Adnoc's low-carbon ammonia platform, has signed an asset sale and purchase agreement to acquire the distribution assets of Wengfu Australia, a leading fertilizer distribution business. The purchase price will be based on the net asset value, consisting of fully recoverable net working capital and liquid inventory, plus a premium of ~US$8 million, a statement said. The transaction is expected to be earnings per share accretive. Wengfu operates in South-East Australia from five ports with eight warehouses, distributing 700-800kt of fertilizers annually, to over 200 customers, with capacity to scale up to 1.1 million tons per annum. This makes Wengfu a leading supplier in one of the world's fastest-growing agricultural markets, known for high quality standards and a well-established supply chain. Wengfu's experienced team and longstanding customer relationships will further support the business's future growth and continuity. This acquisition aligns with Fertiglobe's strategy to expand its presence in key strategic sectors, diversify its global footprint, and build resilience against seasonality. It provides access to a broader customer base, unlocks supply chain efficiencies, and supports the introduction of enhanced-efficiency and sustainable fertilizers. This acquisition also enables Fertiglobe to widen its distributed product portfolio to non-nitrogen fertilizers and allows it to expand fertilizer sourcing flexibility to supply the wider Asia-Pacific region, the company said. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory and legal approvals. Ahmed El-Hoshy, Chief Executive Officer of Fertiglobe, commented: 'Acquiring Wengfu's assets marks a strategic step in our value-driven growth strategy and accelerates our commercial footprint in Australia - one of the world's fastest-growing agricultural regions. It also provides us with a strong distribution platform across the Asia-Pacific region, strengthens access to our customers, and enhances our ability to competitively source and deliver our products and services. Having known Wengfu's team for several years, we have strong confidence in their ability to grow the business from here. The transaction is in line with our ambitions to expand our presence in key markets and reinforces our leadership position in the global nitrogen industry.' The acquisition will be financed through pre-arranged trade facilities, with no impact on Fertiglobe's dividend distribution capability and minimal impact on leverage. Fertiglobe's shareholders recently approved H2 2024 dividends of $125 million, taking total 2024 dividends to $275 million, implying an industry leading yield of +5%. Fertiglobe is the world's largest seaborne exporter of urea and ammonia combined, and an early mover in sustainable ammonia. Fertiglobe's production capacity comprises 6.6 million tons of urea and merchant ammonia, produced at four subsidiaries in the UAE, Egypt and Algeria, making it the largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It benefits from direct access to six key ports and distribution hubs on the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and the Arab Gulf. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi and incorporated in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Fertiglobe employs more than 2,700 employees. -
