Adopted Country

Thank you Margaret.

I too would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land – the Burramattagal People of the Darug Nation – and pay my respects to their elders past and present.

I particularly want to acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People here tonight.

It’s an absolute pleasure to be here to open our special exhibition, Adopted Country.

The theme of tonight really struck a chord with me.

After all, almost all of us are living in an adopted country – except for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

And for whatever reason that I don’t understand, the Welcome to Country they so generously give us is often criticised.

To me, it is the ultimate act of respect.

They are sharing their home with us, welcoming us so generously to the lands and rivers they have been the custodians of for tens of thousands of years.

All they ask is that we tread lightly and that we act respectfully.

The other chord that struck me with this exhibition is the concept of how when we adopt a place we become part of its community.

So much of Aboriginal art is about creating a sense of community – a sense of place.

Art is the great educator.

It tells us about the perceptions of an artist, often reflecting or rejecting the values and events of the times.

As we all know, education is the great enabler.

It transforms lives.

And at the vanguard of broadening our knowledge and horizons lies art, culture and creative industries.

We all instinctively know what we like and what we don’t like.

Art is often the lasting, intergenerational legacy of communities.

It is an expression of our lifeforce – pulling back the curtain to how we lived and perceived the world around us at a certain point in time.

Our values and our beliefs are so often informed by artists and creatives – the world’s greatest history teachers.

Art confronts us.

It comforts us.

It challenges us.

It awakens us.

It makes us feel.

It makes us, it forces us to to reflect on the kind of society:

• we have been
• we are, and
• we should become.

Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding beautifully curated this exhibition, Adopted Country.

It features work from the University’s Indigenous Australian artwork collection, including recent commissions and acquisitions.

It delves into the themes of connection to Country and stories of place.

Together the works in the exhibition highlight markers in time on this land and how cultural practices and explorations of identity are shared through contemporary art practices.

I’m immensely proud that Western Sydney University has its own collection.

I am passionately of the view that we must continue doing more to promote arts and culture in Western Sydney.

Dolla and Margaret at Western Sydney Creative are leading the way, implementing the impressive Wsetern Sydney Creative decadal strategy launched in 2019.

This strategy outlines the University’s long-term commitment to the arts and cultural sector – including:

• championing
• celebrating, and
• investing in the local sector

to assist in the growth and maturation of the region’s arts and cultural landscape – nationally and internationally.

We have an obligation as part of the University’s wider remit to promote knowledge, expression and enlightenment.

As part of that, we will continue:

• nurturing
• supporting
• funding, and
• exhibiting the creativity of the people of Western Sydney.

This is the fabric of our society.

And I know our Centre of Indigenous Excellence will help add to that legacy.

It will be a place where history and the future collide.

It will inspire hope and it will confront the truth.

But fundamentally, the building and its contents with be a singular act of respect.

We want it to be an exemplar of Indigenous advancement.

A place where people can experience

• a sense of peace and calm, and
• a sense of excitement and optimism about what lies ahead after gaining an understanding of what went before.

We want to build a sense of belonging.

And I hope that’s what this exhibition does as well.

Congratulations Dennis.

I sincerely hope all of you enjoy Adopted Country.

Thank you