Sneak peek at our new indigenous bedroom art

July 6, 2023

Example of our Indigenous bedroom identifiers

Like with any home, the children and young people who come for respite at our hospice enjoy calling dibs on their favourite bedroom.

There will be one more drawcard to consider when choosing a room at the soon-to-open Sister Margaret Noone Hospice at Very Special Kids House, with each bedroom assigned a unique indigenous illustration of an animal. Next to each animal will be its name in Woi wurrung.

Woi wurrung is the language of the Wurundjeri-willam people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land on which Very Special Kids House resides.

Very Special Kids had the honour of working with Elder Aunty Gail from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to choose the animals that would represent our eight bedrooms and end-of-life suite.

Example of hospice bedroom identifier — *Pictured: three examples of our Indigenous bedroom identifiers: the wadjil, marram and murrack*

Example of hospice bedroom identifiers — *Pictured: three examples of our Indigenous bedroom identifiers: the wadjil, marram and murrack*

Little Rocket, a First Nations owned and operated agency with a strong relationship to country and community, then helped bring these animals to life with modern style illustrations that create a sense of energy and excitement.

Art holds immense significance in Aboriginal culture, serving as a powerful medium for storytelling, cultural preservation, and spiritual connection. The use of indigenous animals as symbols is particularly meaningful, with each animal embodying specific traits, stories and teachings, reflecting the relationship between humans and the natural world.

Balam balam, the Woi wurrung word for butterfly, was chosen for our end-of-life suite, as the butterfly’s journey from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly symbolises transformation, change and the cycle of life. In many Aboriginal communities, it is associated with the connection between the physical and spiritual realms.

In addition to the balam balam suite, the eight bedrooms will be named after the following animals:

Marram – Kangaroo
Walert – Possum
Warin – Wombat
Murrack – Grasshopper
Wadjil – Pelican
Gawarn – Echidna
Dulai Wurrung – Platypus
Gurrborra – Koala

We hope that as the children and young people who stay at Very Special Kids House become familiar with these names and stories, they will feel connected with the land and its rich cultural heritage.