Celebrating our Norwest Indigenous Community

In January 2020 Suzanne Hall, General Manager of Norwest Private Hospital, commissioned a series of art works to adorn and enhance our large and airy entrance foyer.

The project gave the Norwest team the unique opportunity to recognise and celebrate the traditional owners of the land on which we sit.

As an emerging aboriginal artist Karen Lee’s work stood out when the search for an indigenous artist commenced. Particularly appealing for Norwest was how Karen is influenced aesthetically and conceptually by the local environment, history and memories of the area. Karen always aims to create artworks that are vibrant with aesthetic beauty which are underpinned with meaning and stories of the connection between the past, present, environment, people and cultures. Karen Lee is a Wiradjuri woman from NSW who has lived and worked in Darug country for over 40 years.

Karen met with Suzanne and the Norwest team over a number of weeks and together they developed the concept for a series of four large art works, to be titled “The Journey”. The long journey symbol starts in the first piece and is carried through the entire series, representing the past, present and future journey of Healthscope’s Norwest Private Hospital.

The meeting symbol is represented in each of the four pieces, acknowledging through every part of the Norwest journey the coming together of our people, culture, history and the environment.

Each piece represents important elements of the indigenous history of the Hills district, the historic Bella Vista farm, the cultural diversity of our people, doctors, partners, patients and families, and the natural environment on which our hospital stands.

Together the series showcase how all these elements work in harmony to come together for the common purpose of caring for the people of The Hills and surrounding communities.
 

 

 

 

Gabin-Gidyal (Gubbin-giyal) A beginning

This artwork is the first piece and the beginning of the story.

The easily recognised hill symbols represent the land on which the Bella Vista Homestead and the suburb of Norwest sit. The farm was once most famous in the district as an orange farm, the fruit symbol is representative of this period in the farm’s history.

To this day ancient bunya pines line the entrance to the homestead. Bunya are of profound cultural significance to Indigenous culture as a staple food source. Bunya pines are represented in this artwork by the indigenous tree symbol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murun (muron) Life

The second piece is a story celebrating the journey of life, from birth to life’s end and the role of Norwest Private Hospital in providing care to our community through every part of life’s journey. Clapping sticks and dancing symbols represent these celebrations.

There are many people symbols throughout the piece representing the many children born at our hospital, adults and elders who are cared for at our hospital. Every person who passes through Norwest Private Hospital has a role to play in the celebration of life, whether they are staff, doctors, patients or visitors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayiny (Mi-in) People

The third piece tells the story of the diversity of cultures in the Norwest area, which may signify a birth place, workplace or a community of practice at Norwest Private Hospital. The dilly bag symbol is an indigenous carrying vessel. In this piece, it represents people from many different cultural backgrounds and countries bringing their culture and life experiences to Norwest. There are hills and bush berry symbols representing the environment on which our cultures meet.

The four long journey symbols meeting together at the meeting point in the middle of the piece represent the diversity of cultures coming together and working together in harmony

 

 

 

 

 

Dhagun (Daagon) Land

The fourth piece holds many symbols representing the native flora and fauna of our environment, such as animal tracks, flowers, and waterholes. It represents all elements of the series which are connected to the land. This artwork is the story and representation of the local natural environment. The land of this country is both significant to Indigenous culture and where people gather and meet. The layers of the earth underneath and the natural flora and fauna surrounding Norwest are eternal.

Together we respectfully acknowledge the Traditional people of the land on which we work and learn, and pay respect to the First Nations Peoples and their elders, past, present and emerging.