Art works have transformed two dull water tanks at Jan Juc Pre-School into windows for children’s learning about First Nations cultural heritage.
Wadawurrung artist Billy-Jay O’Toole transformed the tanks with images including creator spirit Bunjil after a series of workshops with the pre-school children.
Together they also created a separate artwork for inside the pre-school depicting Bunjil as a wedge-tailed eagle, with each child decorating two feathers for the work.
Billy-Jay O’Toole’s mother, Wadawurrung Woman Corrina Eccles, shared a smoking ceremony with children, parents and staff during a pre-school community launch of the works on Wednesday 16 March 2022.
Surf Coast Shire Council partnered with the pre-school Parent Advisory Group (PAG) through its Small Grants Program to help deliver the project.
PAG representative Emily Torney said the children loved being involved.
“They do some Indigenous learning through the year, and learn about flora and fauna and the names of animals. They found it really interesting to learn about Bunjil,” Ms Torney said.
“The tanks are painted in such a way that the teachers can tell the stories behind the images, so it’s not only something for now, it’s something for future learning as well.
“They add so much colour and vibrancy, these two grey tanks now look fantastic.”
Cr Rose Hodge, a former Jan Juc Pre-School parent and parent group president, attended the smoking ceremony.
“These murals are glorious and I love the creative way the children were engaged in their stories through the workshops with Billy-Jay,” Cr Hodge said.
“The paintings will be valuable visual storybooks for years to come, deepening and enriching children’s understanding of First Nations culture.”
