Bagurrk Biik
We are passionate about the Balit Bagurrk (Strong Women), the strong Aboriginal women of our community, both past and present, and our emerging Aboriginal women leaders. We are passionate about the entities that belong to Country. Therefore we have honoured our Balit Bagurrk in the following way:
Each room is named in Woi-wurrung language after a plant which symbolises women’s relationship to Country through food, fibre, healing, tools, caring, protection and play. Each plant symbolises the interconnectivity and generosity between Ancestors, earth, water, cultural practice, women and their work, women and their spiritual connection to Country, and the interconnectivity of all entities that belong to Country, which includes the precious and fragile habitats of the Yarra Ranges, home to many significant non-human species, beautiful waterways and the living Biik itself. Plants play a role of welcoming others to Country and in this way the rooms would be places of cultural daily welcoming of Yarra Ranges staff members to land and the Civic Centre edifice. Aunty Kim Wandin and Chris Joy developed the concept, and carefully selected the plants. In Aunty Kim’s words, “These plants are intertwined with everything that is Country (Biik). They are deeply embedded in our cultural practices reminding us that we are one and the same. They give us self.”
Title: Bagurrk Biik (Women Country)
Location: Yarra Ranges Civic Centre. Eleven meeting rooms and play space.
Client: Shire of Yarra Ranges
Team: Artefacts made by Aunty Kim and Lewis Wandin-Bursill. Thank you to Amanda Wright for her beautiful sketches, Ryan Tews for his photography, The Garage, for printing and installation and to the team at Shire of Yarra Ranges especially Gabby Haynes. Thank you to Interpretation Australia for the National award recognising our work.
Award: Award for Excellence First Nations Interpretation Project, for the Interpretation Australia National Award for Excellence