NORTHS LEAGUES UNVEILS MAJOR FIRST NATIONS ARTWORK CELEBRATING GUBBI GUBBI HERITAGE
Norths Leagues & Services Club has officially unveiled a landmark community artwork titled ‘The Dreams of Gurwinda’, commissioned in partnership with the Gubbi Gubbi people to honour the Traditional Custodians of the Kallangur area.
Created by local First Nations artist Bianca Clark (Wongai Wuru), the expansive project took 10 months of deep collaboration to curate. The final work spans a massive digital installation on the club’s exterior alongside four interconnected canvas pieces displayed inside the venue. Norths Leagues & Services Club’s General Manager, Troy Young, officially opened the unveiling event, expressing his pride in the collaboration.
Artist Bianca Clark (Wongai Wuru) and Queensland Clubs Management Representative, John Ribot
The milestone celebration was attended by Gubbi Gubbi Elder, Aunty Christine, who performed the Welcome to Country, alongside Local Councillor Yvonne Barlow and State Member for Murrumba, Stephen Miles MP. Aunty Christine shared the rich history of the Gubbi Gubbi people, whose deep connection to the land stretches back over 65,000 years, spanning from north of the Pine River up to the Burrum River near Bundaberg.
She emphasised the traditional nomadic lifestyle of her people and their enduring cultural responsibility to care for the land and its wildlife, a theme deeply embedded throughout the artwork.
‘The Dreams of Gurwinda’ translates to ‘The Dreams of Many’. Artist Bianca Clark shared that she took immense pride in being asked to acknowledge her ancestry through the commission, drawing profound personal inspiration from her Uncle Ned, who served Australia in the Vietnam War.
The artwork features layers of deep cultural symbolism that connect past, present, and future:
- Ancestral Journey: A Brushtail Possum travels the landscape representing ancestral beings, while the Rainbow Serpent winds through the narrative to connect Dreamtime stories.
- Land and Resourcefulness: Native plants like bottlebrush, eucalyptus, and paperbark trees symbolise traditional medicinal knowledge. Hand-woven fish traps, spears, and a native timber canoe reflect Gubbi Gubbi skill and resourcefulness.
Artist Bianca Clark (Wongai Wuru), Auntry Christine (Gubbi Gubbi representative), Hon. Stephen Miles MP & Cr. Yvonne Barlow
- Community and Gathering: A vibrant Wallaby guides people toward a central Meeting Place to share stories, food, and laughter, alongside depictions of the culturally significant Bunya nut harvest.
- Sacrifice and Remembrance: Footprints of the kangaroo and emu lead into a poignant final scene. This scene honours Aboriginal soldiers who served and fell in war, directly linking their sacrifice to Norths Leagues Club’s deeply held values of ongoing remembrance.
The masterpiece closes with the powerful message, “Together We Dream,” serving as a permanent tribute to inclusivity, collaboration, and the enduring cultural heritage of the Gubbi Gubbi people.
Jodie Morphett (3B Media), Cr. Yvonne Barlow, Artist Bianca Clark (Wongai Wuru) & Troy Young (Norths Leagues & Services Club General Manager)
Digital depiction of Bianca Clark’s ‘The Dreams of Gurwinda’ artwork, displayed outside of Norths Leagues Main Entrance