Gamadj Country, Djadjala territory 2000

Summary

Gamadj (black cockatoo) Country, Djadjala territory (Djadjala). Red, yellow and black designs representing the black cockatoo feather, fresh water mussel shells, quandong seeds and ancestral motifs such as the herring bone pattern from shield designs and the flowing elements of the Wimmera River which runs into Lake Hindmarsh. In 2000 the City of Melbourne commissioned Aboriginal artists to create a series of banners based on the traditional stories of nations and clan groups in Victoria. The artworks depict symbols, landmarks, animals and stories that are important to the tribes and clans of southern Australia as well as to the artists themselves. Some of the animals and landmarks include: the eel or Kuuyang of the Kirrae Wurrong clan in south western Victoria; the sand dunes and river red gums of the Yorta Yorta people who live beside the Murray River; and the carved shield patterns of the Bra Baloong clan of east Gippsland. The project was called Toom-buk Toom-nangi - Telling Their Stories and was coordinated by Kimba Thompson.