Care for Country - NAIDOC Week 2021

This week, Rural Lifestyle Options Australia are celebrating all things NAIDOC. 🖤💛❤️ Today, we are going to be taking a closer look at the 2021 National NAIDOC Poster ‘Care for Country’ which was designed by Gubbi Gubbi artist Maggie-Jean Douglas.

Every year, the National NAIDOC Committee invite talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists aged 13 years and older to submit original artworks for the National NAIDOC Poster Competition, allowing entrants the opportunity to be recognised across Australia in celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements.

Maggie was the winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC Poster Competition for 2021 which was chosen from 260 entries.

Drawing inspiration from the 2021 NAIDOC Week theme of ‘Heal Country!’, ‘Care for Country’ is a bright and vibrant artwork which explores how Country has cared for and healed First Nations people spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially and culturally. The artwork includes communities, people, animals and bush medicines spread over different landscapes of red dirt, green grass, bush land and coastal areas to tell the story of the many ways Country can and has healed us throughout our lives and journeys.

The 21-year-old artist said her first thoughts on hearing the 2021 NAIDOC theme ‘Heal Country’ was about how country has cared for and healed First Nations people in all senses of the meaning for so long.

Heal country, heal our nation.

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To learn more about Rural Lifestyle Options Australia’s vision for reconciliation, please visit www.rloa.org.au/rap

#NAIDOC2021 #NAIDOCWeek

Colour For Reconciliation

Every month, Rural Lifestyle Options Australia hold an internal staff competition. 🗓️

Last month, in recognition of National Reconciliation Week, the competition asked staff to colour in the ‘Colour for Reconciliation’ artwork by Jessica Johnson. 🎨

Jessica is a descendent of the Warumungu/Wombaya people north of Tennant Creek and is an established designer, artist and owner of Nungala Creative.

Now that June is behind us, and in commemoration of NAIDOC Week, we thought it would be fitting to share with you all some of the entries that were submitted last month by staff.

The winning entrants won a range of great prizes from Chern’ee and Brooke Sutton, two contemporary Kalkadoon Aboriginal Artists.

Heal country, heal our nation. 🖤💛❤️

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To learn more about Rural Lifestyle Options Australia’s vision for reconciliation, please visit www.rloa.org.au/rap

#NAIDOC2021 #NAIDOCWeek

NAIDOC Week 2020 Virtual Afternoon Tea

Last week, Rural Lifestyle Options Australia celebrated the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with a Virtual Afternoon Tea in recognition of NAIDOC Week 2020.

This year, the theme was ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ which recognised that First Nations peoples have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.

As an organisation, we are committed to taking a proactive approach to advancing reconciliation and we invite all Australians to embrace the true history of this country—a history that dates back thousands of generations.

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#NAIDOC2020 #NAIDOCWeek #NAIDOC