Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sea Country, a children's book written by Aunty Patsy Cameron, with beautiful collages and illustrations by Lisa Kennedy, begins:

My people are proud, strong people. We are the descendants of Mannalargenna of the Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway clan. We grew up on Flinders Island in eastern Bass Strait. The bush and the beach were our playground … We were free to hear Country speaking to us.

Sea Country weaves a cultural homage to life on Flinders Island, with stories of collecting, fishing in wooden dinghies with long oars and watching clouds snake their way down Mount Munro. When the book was launched, Aunty Patsy said:

I think it's really important to tell these stories for children to understand Aboriginal heritage and how Aboriginal people relate to the land, and how as a young person I related to the country, to the land and the seas and the skies.

In the northern region of lutruwita, the First Nations connection to kanamaluka, our local estuary, has been explored at the newly built University of Tasmania Library at Inveresk, which I opened last year. Launceston-born and -raised Aboriginal artist Caleb Mansell was commissioned to design feature carpets for the building's interior. A proud and deep connection to country and culture drove the inspiration for the final pieces, which can be seen across the three levels of the new library. The pieces are titled Wetlands;kanamalukaI,II and III; and Flats. Their colours and patterns represent themes and features connected to the nearby waterway. Caleb said:

Growing up in Launceston, I spent a lot of time exploring and connecting to Country. There was always something mystical about this water that drew me in, it was like an energy. It was important that I brought kanamaluka from outside into the campus and told the story of how it supported our old people and still connects and supports our community today.

It is critical that we ensure that the culture and historical significance of our First Nations people, like Aunty Patsy and Caleb, is heard through art. I welcome one of the key pillars of this new cultural policy, Revive, which has a focus on recognising and representing the crucial place of First Nations stories at the heart of our arts and culture and, importantly, legislating to ban fake First Nations art.

I've spoken in parliament on numerous occasions about how the arts sector in Northern Tasmania is incredibly strong, despite our relatively small population. This coming Friday will see the launch of the biennial Ten Days on the Island festival, which will present a number of exhibitions, performances and community events across the island. This comes off the back of another successful Mona Foma. Next week, the award-winning Encore Theatre Company will hold their opening night of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which I can't wait to see. It will have a three-week run before they head into rehearsals for The Boy from Oz in October. Of course, later this year Junction Arts Festival will be back—no doubt bigger and better than ever—while, across the region, smaller cultural, writing and poetry festivals and events are held throughout the year, giving dancers, actors, singers, writers, photographers, painters and creators a platform for their work to be performed or displayed.

Over the past decade, a significant number of organisations and individual artists in my electorate of Bass have been supported through coalition funding to bring their creative pursuits to life. When the pandemic was in its height and Tasmanian borders remained shut, I saw firsthand, from my continuing engagement with the local arts community, how the RISE fund gave local performers, pubs, theatre groups and art galleries a chance to get back on their feet and survive at a time when the industry had come to a complete standstill. Given where we were just a few years ago, I am absolutely full of pride when I look at the calendar of arts events in the year ahead and see how our local arts industry is thriving, assisted largely by the community, who have come out in droves to support local shows and artists.

Art in all its forms is a reflection on our society and its culture. It is a source of inspiration and connection for our communities. I'm proud of the creative output that continues to grow in my electorate of Bass and want to thank all artists who contribute to our local arts scene. I'm hopeful that the establishment of Creative Australia and four new bodies within it—Music Australia, Writers Australia, a First Nations led body and a Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces—will amplify opportunities for local artists in my region.

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