Kathryn Dodd Farrawell
The tree featured is a Sydney Blue Gum found all way up the coast from Sydney (Gadigal) to Central Queensland (Darumbal). The tree has connection to both Darumbal and Gadigal lands, like myself. The tree is located on Wood Street Playground, next to Orphan School Creek (The Old Children’s Hospital), Forest Lodge. The tree stands tall and beautiful and has been there for a long, long time as a sacred tree that grows where the Old Children’s Hospital buried many children in which there is no record of. This painting pays respect to the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and I extend this on to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Nations. NAIDOC 2023 theme is ‘For Our Elders’, paying respect to their culture, bravery and voice. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.