‘Journey of Health’ – the story behind our Aboriginal Health Unit’s new artwork

The SESLHD Aboriginal Health Unit (AHU) has commissioned a striking new artwork to be the distinctive visual identity of the unit.
 
To bring this identity to life, an expression of interest (EOI) was opened to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists who reside on, or are connected to, the traditional Aboriginal lands of the District. The EOI was widely circulated in communities and called for submissions to have a strong theme of culture, wellbeing, empowerment, respect and collaboration.
 
The EOI was open for four weeks, and on 18 June 2021, the AHU selected an artwork submitted by Amy Hill to represent the values and core business of the unit. Ms Hill, a proud Kamilaroi woman, is a contemporary and established Aboriginal artist living on Dharawal Country. Her art represents the spiritual connection that Aboriginal people have to The Dreaming, and telling stories through her art is a great opportunity that she fully embraces.
 
The artwork – Journey of Health – reflects the AHU and the communities of SESLHD. The centre circle represents the AHU, and the other four circles on the journey lines symbolise communication, openness, mutual respect and empowerment. The community gatherings represent our community members’ journey and connection to holistic health and wellbeing. The background circles represent the collaborative support network that is formed through meaningful engagement and connections between communities and the District.
 

The colours were chosen to signify the varied landscape of SESLHD – blues symbolise the sea, coastal areas and waterways; green represents the vast bushlands; and the use of three different colours for the community circles signifies the diversity of the Aboriginal community across the District.
 

Tim Croft, Manager of the AHU, said: “We asked for an artwork that Aboriginal communities of South Eastern Sydney could see reflected the themes of connection to the lands and waterways, the journey of Aboriginal people across and to this area, and their journey to health and wellbeing."

“This artwork is a really strong reflection of that. We appreciate the beautiful and grounded work that Amy Hill has developed for this.” 
 
The artwork will be used by the AHU on documents and promotional materials, including printed publications and digital media. It provides a meaningful backdrop for the AHU’s new social media accounts, which you can help the AHU grow by following them on Facebook and Instagram.

Aboriginal Health Unit artwork