Lucy Simpson / Gaawaa Miyay Designs

The graphic elements within the website were designed Lucy Simpson. Born and based in Sydney, Lucy is a Yuwaalaraay woman belonging to the freshwater country of the Walgett, Lightning Ridge and Angledool areas of North West NSW.

Lucy established her design business Gaawaa Miyay (River Daughter) Designs in 2009 during her graduating year at the College of Fine Arts (UNSW), where she majored in textile, jewellery and graphic design.

Design for Lucy is a passion, and though both her own work with the Gaawaa Miyay range, and the commissioned graphics work she creates for her clients she is able to share, celebrate and represent aspects of culture, family, story and life in contemporary ways through functional everyday design.

Lucy worked with the City of Sydney’s web team who developed the website.

Artist statement: ‘Warran’ Sydney Cove

The Warran design represents Sydney, and was created to celebrate NAIDOC week throughout the City of Sydney.

The Sydney Opera House motif was incorporated into the artwork to represent what we now know as Sydney cove – or traditionally Warran (Warrane). Warran was chosen to highlight the strong connection to country by Indigenous Australians that span many generations and centuries.

Bennelong Point, the site of the Sydney Opera House is also a significant place for many reasons. People have been gathering, celebrating and sharing here for many years, and this is reflected in the history of the site. Bennelong Point was originally a shell midden – a place of life, celebration, exchange and unity. Many of the city’s buildings (including the very foundations of the Sydney Harbour Bridge) are built from remnant Sydney shell middens. The opera house’s opening in 1973 saw many subsequent ceremonies and performances continue on the site and now it sits as one of the most important cultural sites in contemporary Australian life.

Sydney has been made strong with the culture and life of its traditional custodians – this design embodies the notion that Aboriginal Sydney is forever present in this country… in the earth, bloodlines, and even in its modern day iconic city skyline.

The landscape may change and time may pass, but the essence of the land and its people remnant strong and ever present in this beautiful country.