Bayadyinyang budyari Dharug yiyura Dharug Ngurra.
Bayady’u budyari Dharug Warunggadgu baranyiin barribugu.
Bayady’u budyari wagulgu yiyuragu Ngurra bimalgu Blacktown City. Flannel flowers dyurali bulbuwul.
Yanmannyang mudayi Dharug Ngurrawa. Walama ngyini budbud dali Dharug Ngurra Dharug yiyura baranyiin barribugu.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this Land, the Dharug people, and their continued connection to Country.
We pay our respects to Elders from yesterday to tomorrow.
We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Blacktown City where the flannel flowers still grow proud and strong.
We will walk softly on this land and open our hearts to Country as the Dharug people have for tens of thousands of years.
Credit to: Dharug woman Rhiannon Wright, daughter of Leanne ‘Mulgo’ Watson Redpath and granddaughter of Aunty Edna Watson
Collective Action draws upon the rich history of protest and activism in western Sydney through a collection of selected photographs from the Fairfax Media archives. These photographs document the 2006 protests of the Howard government’s industrial relations reforms.
The reform saw the introduction of WorkChoices which was very unpopular amongst unions for the way it stripped away basic employment rights for workers. This led to mass protests, action and the downfall of the Howard government.
As part of a National Day of Action in 2006, approximately 40,000 workers rallied together at Blacktown Showgrounds to air their objection to the reforms.
The photographs in this exhibition celebrate the importance of activism and affirm that western Sydney has always been a location of political agitation, community togetherness and a multiplicity of voices.
Curated by Talia Smith.
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Collective Action is presented by Blacktown Arts and supported by Blacktown City Council and NSW Government through Create NSW.
An innovative multi-arts hub in the heart of Blacktown City.
Blacktown Arts supports artists through annual opportunities across prizes, exhibitions, funding opportunities, and studio spaces for local creatives.
Explore Blacktown City’s rich arts and cultural collections.
Blacktown City’s annual acquisitive art prize open to artists across Australia, with a prize pool of over $23,500.