PROVIDED FOR THE COMMUNITY - BY THE COMMUNITY - NOT FOR PROFIT
Our Mural
Ben Eyles, Artist
Jindabyne NSW
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Ben Eyles is a local artist who is of Darkinjung descent on Ngarigo Country. Ben was inspired to create this beautiful mural based on the dreamtime story of Myee, The Bogong Moth Woman. Ben Eyles completed the above artwork in 2022 for the service.
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The Bogong Moths make their yearly travel from the Queensland's Great Dividing Range down to the Snowy Mountains Great Dividing Range. The Indigenous people would travel to the Snowy Region to feast on these high protein insects every year via the Bundian Way. The Bundian Way is an ancient pathway for Aboriginal people from Yuin, Ngarigo, Jaitmathang, Bidawal Country that provided safe passage between the coast and the high country. Travel along the pathway allowed different tribal groups to gather on the shores of Turemulerrer (Twofold Bay) during the spring whale migration and ceremonial places near Targangal (Mount Kosciuszko) for the Bogong gatherings in summer.
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The dreamtime story tells of the Bogong's wife, Myee. Myee was brightly coloured like the native wildflowers. She was curious about the white stuff that sat atop the mountains and viewed curiously from a distance. Bogong warned her not to travel to see the white stuff as it was too cold and too far for their people. Ignoring his advice, Myee went to explore the mysterious white mountain in the distance. As she neared her destination, snow started to fall, trapping her under the snow. When Spring came and the snow melted, Myee the Bogong Moth was free. As she took flight her bright and vibrant colours remained, soaking into the snow and earth, leaving her brown. Where the snow then melted, beautiful, colourful spring flowers emerged.
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Our mural depicts this story. A colourful Bogong on the snow and the other Bogong, brown, surrounded by wildflowers on the mountain. The mural also shows the stars and river with common traditional indigenous symbols illustrated. The Wildflowers are the children's hand prints.
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The mural also speaks of Snowy Mountains Care and Early Learning Centre's vision of Reconciliation. Find our Reconciliation Action Plan here.
"WE ARE A PART OF THE SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION"
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The Centre and its team acknowledge the Ngarigo people as the tradtional owners of the land where we stand.