River of Learning Art Show 2022

River of Learning Art Show 2022: ‘My Favourite Place on Yaegl Country’

As part of the River of Learning program and Reconciliation Week, Maclean High School organises an Art Show as a way to involve our Year 6 and high school students to participate in these particular types of extracurricular and cultural activities.

This year we have asked the students to depict their favourite place on Yaegl Country, a remarkable part of Northern New South Wales, due to its unique history and geography. There are thirteen public schools located on Yaegl Country – twelve are primary schools and there is one secondary school.

The location of Yaegl Country is geographically significant. Located at the lower reaches of the Clarence estuary and floodplain, it is flanked by two narrow coastal strips: Black Rock to the north and Red Rock to the south. Yaegl Country is bordered by Bundjalung Country to the north and west from Black Rock, and Gumbaynggirr Country to the south and west. Each year we invite Baryugil Public School from Bunjalung Country to contribute to our art show.

This year we had 63 exhibits from the primary schools and the high school. The overall winner of the high school division was Zac Eamens Gardiner, and in the primary division Demarco Quinlin-Randall. Each primary school was awarded a first prize winner for their individual school.

The exhibits were all fantastic, covering a diverse area of art ranging from photographs, sketches, paintings, and collages. The judge, a well-known Yaegl artist, was very impressed with the exhibits and found awarding the prizes both challenging and satisfying as there was such a diverse array of works to choose from.

The opening of the exhibition was on Tuesday 31 May at 4.30, with an afternoon tea for visitors and the Yaegl Elders doing a Welcome to Country for visitors and guests.

The exhibition ran from 31 May to 12 June. Maclean High School would like to thank the Yamba Historical Society for all their generous support in helping us put this exhibition together.

Maclean High School Aboriginal Education Team.

Story contributed by Liza Hamilton from Maclean High School. Published in 2022.