Aboriginal artworks at Southern
Southern NSW Local Health District is committed to making our health system culturally respectful for Aboriginal people. This means ensuring all Aboriginal people are treated respectfully at all points of interaction with our health system. By incorporating Aboriginal art in our facilities, publications and communications, we aim to represent and acknowledge Aboriginal people, and provide a welcoming and culturally safe space.
Partnerships and Collaboration by Alison Simpson
Alison Simpson's Partnerships and Collaboration was the winner of Southern's 2016 Aboriginal Art Award. The artwork reflects our commitment to improving engagement and health outcomes for Aboriginal communities. Alison's artwork is proudly displayed throughout our hospitals and health facilities, and widely used in our publications.
Alison Simpson
About the artwork
Artwork selection | Description |
|---|---|
 | The small dot in the centre represents the child. The child is being cradled by its mother and the mother and child being cradled by the father/partner. The orange circle signifies the strong family unit. |
 | The people outside the family unit represent service providers and community who work closely with families supporting them. |
 | The orange circles flowing out from the centre represent the positive ripple effect that strong family/community has on the growth of a family. |
 | The bright colours represent the joy/hope that comes with having a strong family/community. |
 | The blue stream represents water which is significant to our survival. |
Artist biography
My name is Alison Simpson. I'm an Aboriginal woman from the Kalari clan of the Wiradjuri nation from central NSW as well as Wemba Wemba from northwest Victoria.
I am married with no children. I am an aunty to 38 nieces and nephews, and I have 9 siblings. We lost our father when I was four years old, and we were raised by our single mother.
I have 14 years’ experience working in Aboriginal health - 3 years in the community-controlled sector and 11 years in the public sector.
I have recently moved from Albury NSW and am employed in the community service sector delivering aged and disability services to the Aboriginal community in Eden. I have a private consulting business delivering cultural competence training which I do in my spare time, and I am also a student, studying Public Health.
I enjoy socialising and being around family and friends. I also love learning and being around knowledgeable people, especially older people. I love being outdoors and have great appreciation for nature and the environment.
I started painting in 2013 for therapeutic reasons and have been painting in my spare time ever since. My artwork is contemporary, and each piece tells a story.
Mothers and Babies by Wayne Williams
Wayne Williams' Mothers and Babies (formally New England Journey) was a winner of Southern's 2016 Aboriginal Art Award. The artwork is used for Southern's programs delivered to mothers and their children.
Wayne Williams
About the artwork
A mother watches over her son over the years growing from baby to taking his first steps towards becoming a young insecure child to a young teenager learning to hunt and discovering his first love to reaching maturity as a young male after full initiations with a totem place before him by his elders.
Oval shapes - Dreamtime symbols giving life to him and his life’s journey. Large circles - Represents the young man’s journey coming full circle. Smaller circles - Represents his stages of youth/bonding with his full circle of life leading to full adulthood and the many different paths he has chosen to take. Smaller brown/ turquoise/white circle path - Shows the various stages of his life from baby to young adult standings in the Tribe/Clan.
Artist biography
Kamilaroi Nation in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales on my Mother’s side.
Wiradjuri Nation in the Cowra/ Riverina region of New South Wales on my stepfather’s side.
I always loved drawing since I was a child but that had faded as soon as I had reached puberty until the day my older sister had taken me to an Indigenous art exhibition when I was about 32 years old in Melbourne, once I had laid my eyes on what was presented I thought “WOW”, I so want to do this also.
Feeling the art side of my youth awaken again (but in a more concentrated Indigenous perspective), I had enrolled at the Preston TAFE College to study Indigenous Art & Culture while studying the many varied art forms of the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples culture designs and began painting on small pieces of canvas.
At first I had started to give them away to friends and family as gifts but was afforded an opportunity to go the next step in being invited to present my works in a stall at various events around Melbourne, the rest is as they say is history as I now paint in my spare time as a hobby artist that allows me to continue to develop my artistic skills to the best of my ability in sharing my unique contemporary cross Indigenous designs to share with the rest of the world.