New outdoor spaces created specifically for Aboriginal patients, staff, and visitors have been completed at Narrandera District Hospital.
Featuring a mural by Narrandera-based Wiradjuri artist Uncle Owen Lyons, the project included the creation of a yarning circle and Sorry Business area.
The space was designed and created in consultation with local Elders and students from local schools, who were also able to help paint the mural. This gave the students the opportunity to learn more about Wiradjuri culture.
The artwork tells the story of Elders gathering at a meeting place along the life-giving Murrambidya (Murrumbidgee) River and passing on knowledge of ancestral (tribal) lands to young people, represented by hands covering the mural. It teaches the children the lay of the land and where to find bush foods and other resources, ensuring the future survival of their culture.
The work was made possible by a $63,000 grant from the Aboriginal Health Minor Capital Works Program, one of the many ways the NSW Government is continuing the important work of improving healthcare access and outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Three similar projects are also currently under way elsewhere in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District including Deniliquin, Lake Cargelligo and Hay.
Murrumbidgee Local Health District Acting Chief Executive Carla Bailey said this important project has allowed the creation of specific, culturally safe areas for Aboriginal people to use during times of grief or stress.
“This space, with its beautiful mural created by Uncle Owen Lyons, a respected local artist, will allow Aboriginal people to have a spiritual connection with Country during difficult times,” Ms Bailey said.
“It is very important that our Aboriginal communities feel safe and supported in our hospitals, and the creation of this new culturally significant area at Narrandera District Hospital is an important step in helping to achieve that.”
