City's Indigenous art competition celebrates NAIDOC Week

In celebration of NAIDOC Week and throughout the month of July, the City of Busselton hosted an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artwork Competition. The garnered an impressive response, with nearly 60 outstanding entries pouring in from primary and high schools across the district.

Mayor Grant Henley said the entries were of an exceptionally high standard, and presented a delightful challenge in selecting the winners. The competition featured three distinct categories, with the honor of First Place decided by Mr Henley, alongside Thelma Harris, the Aboriginal Community Development Officer, and Jacquie Happ, the Cultural Development Officer.

The artwork of the winner from this category will find its place on the City’s staff uniforms.

The chosen themes underscore their deep connection to the land they inhabit, and the significance of the ocean. Cultural aspects were also thoughtfully explored, revealing the students’ eagerness to engage with Aboriginal culture and heritage. The City offered a special acknowledgment to the Aboriginal Education and Arts teachers within the schools, whose dedicated guidance nurtured the students’ creative expressions.

Archie Whiteland from Dunsborough Primary School emerged as the first prize winner. His artwork, aptly titled “The Ocean and the Land,” captivated the judges’ attention. Archie’s achievement rewards him with a City of Busselton Prize Pack and a $200 voucher to Jackson’s Drawing Supplies.

Daisy Chan, another budding artist from Dunsborough Primary School, captured the hearts of the public to earn the People’s Choice Award. Her artwork, named “Ocean and Earth,” earned her a $100 voucher to Jackson’s Drawing Supplies, along with an exclusive City of Busselton Prize Pack. The People’s Choice Award drew remarkable engagement, with over 150 votes cast, and the competition for the top five artworks remained fiercely contested.

Each year the City is invited by the WA Local Government Association to submit an artwork to Showcase in Pixels. This is a digital exhibition of selected artworks from Councils around the state displayed in Yagan Square during Local Government Week.

The City have submitted Ciara William’s artwork “My Land by the Sea,” because of its bright colours and message.