Artist and Artwork Stories
Each of these artworks establishes a connection with ancestral and cultural roots and aims to share and educate the greater community about First Nations culture, an ongoing objective that Grand Central could not be any prouder to share.
Thank you to all our artists who have contributed their artwork to the Igniting Creativity Exhibition.
Click their name below to find out the story of their artwork.
Harristown State School
Toowoomba SHS Clontarf Academy
St Mary’s College
Downlands College
Wilsonton State School
St Ursula’s College
Adapt Mentorship
Yalari
Toowoomba Grammar School
The Glennie School
First Nations readers are advised that the following contains the names of First Nations people who have passed.
Harristown State School
Journey of Harristown Heroes
Our artwork is a reflection of our journey through life so far – a path shaped by learning, growth and culture.
The footprints in the painting represents our steps as we move though each year of school. Every footprint is a reminder of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. Each grade, each classroom and each lesson has left a mark on our journey.
Along the way, we’ve been guided by our class totems, which represent the knowledge strength and wisdom shared with us by our teachers and community. These totems are not just symbols – they are a part of who we are and who we are becoming.
At the centre of our story is the boomerang. It points forward – toward high school and the future and beyond, it’s a symbol of what’s to come: the new challenges, new opportunities and new places to learn and grow.
But like all boomerangs, we know it will one day return. No matter how far we travel or how much we achieve, we will always come back – to our culture, our people and our stories. Because that is where our journey began.
Artists: Leo, Nathaniel, Izzy and Latayah
Toowoomba SHS Clontarf Academy
This collaborative artwork, created by Clontarf members across various grades, tells a powerful story of culture, growth, and reflection:
The Green Snake – “Creation Serpent”. Symbolises culture flowing through time, representing continuity, strength, and the spiritual connection to Country.
Dotted Circles – Moments in Time. Varying in size to reflect the different significance of events and experiences throughout the journey.
Three Meeting Places – Past, Present, and Future. These represent the stages of life: from young boys to teenagers, and finally to young men, highlighting growth and transformation.
Footprints – Reflection and Learning. Moving backward through time, the footprints remind us to reflect on how far we’ve come and to learn from the past.
St Mary's College
The Legacy of Inclusion: Walking Together for a Shared Future
In the heart of the Darling Downs, where rolling hills meet open skies, lies St Mary’s College Toowoomba. For NAIDOC Week 2025, the college unveils a vibrant canvas celebrating the theme: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.”
The artwork features the emu, kangaroo, eagle, and bunya tree—each symbolising a unique aspect of Aboriginal culture and the land. The emu, striding with purpose, represents the journey of knowledge and walking together toward a shared future. The kangaroo, always moving forward, embodies resilience and the strength to overcome challenges.
Soaring above, the eagle symbolises vision and unity, urging us to see the bigger picture and recognise every individual’s role in shaping our future. The ancient bunya tree stands tall, its deep roots reflecting cultural pride and the enduring legacy of the Aboriginal people.
Walking tracks weave through the canvas, tracing the paths of these animals. Alongside them, sheep wander—honouring the pastoral heritage of the Darling Downs. These tracks converge at meeting places, shown as circles, where people gather to share stories, knowledge, and experiences.
At the centre lies a small white circle, representing Aboriginal lore—wisdom passed down through generations. Surrounding it are elders, the keepers of tradition, guiding the community. The outer circle includes the broader community—men and women united in preserving culture and fostering inclusion.
As students and staff gather around the artwork, they reflect on the NAIDOC theme: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.” Walking together for a shared future, the canvas becomes more than art—it’s a call to action, a celebration of diversity, and a tribute to the strength and vision of the next generation.
Downlands College
Never Lost Never Forget
Our painting reflects the powerful values of Strength, Legacy, and Vision in Torres Strait Islander and Indigenous Australian culture. It highlights deep connections to land, family, and tradition.
On the sides, the Dhari (headdress) represents vision — a symbol of ancestral guidance and cultural pride. Surrounding it are ocean elements like the clam, cowrie, and conch shells, which show legacy and the beauty of the sea that has sustained Torres Strait Islander people for generations. The canoe symbolises strength, movement, and the wisdom to carry on traditions. We also included a hammerhead shark (beizam) and turtle — important totems representing protection, resilience, and family ties for many island clans. Flowers show our connection to nature, peace, and the beauty of our islands.
The top and bottom halves of the painting represent men's and women’s business in Indigenous culture. The bottom half shows womanhood, featuring the rainbow serpent — creator of land and mountains — and footsteps that grow larger, symbolising young girls becoming strong women. Bush tucker is included to represent the vital role of women in gathering food and medicine. The top half reflects men’s business, with an elder teaching younger boys to hunt — passing down the strength, vison and the legacy for the future generations to have.
This painting honours our ancestors and guides the next generation. It represents unity and respect between Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples, created through teamwork. It tells a story not just of survival, but of moving forward with pride, vision, and strength for the future.
Artists: Malina Waigana, Rassmey Blanco, Isabella Cusack, Olivia Forde, Archie Tough and Damien Seubert.
Wilsonton State School
Goondal
Wilsonton State School’s team of artists is made up of 11 Aboriginal students in grades 4,5 and 6.
With the support of WSS Youth Worker, the young people gathered each week to unpack what this year’s NAIDOC theme ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy,’ means to them.
Using symbols, modern methods, canvas and storytelling, our young people captured their vision in an eventful art piece.
The Aboriginal flag was the base to the canvas as the connection between people and country is the base to Aboriginal culture; this represents the strength and legacy of first nations peoples. The sun has been left clear and bright showing the student led vision and focus on their future. The differing symbols of people represent passing on of stories, language and traditions from ancestors and elders all the way through to future generations.
Given the theme of ‘The Next Generation,’ the piece has been named ‘Goondal’ (meaning child/children in local lingo). Waterways and animals travel through country and are heavily represented in the art piece, leaving their footprints behind. The students added boomerang, fingerprints and dot work to capture the importance of traditional hunting, dance, art and song.
St Ursula's College
The Tree of Life
To us strength means to be strong and confident in who we are as young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island girls. Confidence comes from being connected to community and growing together as Miyay.
The tree represents the knowledge from our elders. It stands tall and has lasted many generations. The stories and knowledge they pass on makes our life colourful and helps give us a vision for the future. We are the seeds planted from their wisdom.
The meeting places represent us, the artist gathering to share our stories, to paint, to laugh and dream about our future. It also tells the story of our journey as St Ursulas College students. We are a day and boarding school, we are a mixing pot of deadly First Nations students from across Australia. We have Kangaroo footprints journeying with us, reminding us no matter where we go, we are connected to country.
We can share how our Mob does things, and we can learn how our friends Mob does things. That’s what First Nations community is all about. When everyone comes together to help each other out and build the bond that strengthens us.
The border colours represent the Aboriginal and the Torres Straight Island Flags. It represents the Strength, Vision and Legacy of Our people and when we see it, we are full of Pride.
Artists: Aromah Rossie, Ruby Cook, Josie Lifu, Mary Solomon, Amilia Green, Letaya Sams (Year 10 Students)
Adapt Mentorship
This piece represents the kids leading with heart, the big dreams in our communities, and the strength passed down from our ancestors.
Artist: Milly.
Yalari
This piece coincides with this year's NAIDOC theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy and represents the next generation in each community which is symbolised with the handprints along the top and side of the border.
The silhouettes of the man speaking to the young boy and the woman sitting with the young girl next to the baby in the coolamon represents teaching the next generation and the progression of wisdom through the stages of life.
The tree represents a place of sitting in shade and telling yarns along with wisdom in the tree and nurturing, offering guidance and support to community.
Toowoomba Grammar School
This painting was done by the First Nation students of Toowoomba Grammar School.
The story it holds shows the journeys the boys take from their homes to school. Connecting with their families and culture no matter where they are. With many boys coming for the Torres Strait Islands as well as the mainland and coming together as Toowoomba Grammar Students.
The Painting also shows a few of the mobs the boys originate from to help celebrate their culture. While we connect with our culture’s history and celebrate with the next generations with strength, vision, and legacy.
The Glennie School
This is the Glennie School’s contribution to Grand Central’s “Igniting Creativity Exhibition” asking for a reflection on this year’s NAIDOC’s theme: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy.” Before beginning, the girls wish to advise First Nation readers that the following contains the names of First Nations people who have passed.
The girls reflected on the role of Uluru as a starting point for representing strength: it is central to all Australia but is symbolic of cultural strength, connection and resilience of First Nation peoples to Country, Culture and Community.
The legacy is reflected in the land below Uluru where many First Nation groups came to meet and draft the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Combined with this are two quotes from an Elder of the Torres Strait Islander community, Ephraim Bani, whose wise words a Year 10 boarding student from Thursday Island student shares on the painting:
“The past must exist for the present to create the future.” And "Culture will change and adapt, however, we must be very careful that we don’t lose our identity.”
Lastly the vision is in the skies and stars, with the Tagai constellation from Torres Strait Islander skies joining the many hands above Uluru, highlighting the aspirations of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls at The Glennie School. The hopes and dreams of First Nation boarding students from all across Australia, from many different nations, wanting to use their voices to be a part of shaping the future through building on the wisdom, traditions and knowledge of Elders.
