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Sculpture and gathering place honours Aunty Dot

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A sculpture and gathering place celebrating the life and work of Yarra Yarra and Yorta Yorta woman Aunty Dorothy ‘Dot’ Peters AM has this month been installed along Blind Creek off Scoresby Road at Boronia.

Knox Mayor, Councillor Paige Kennett said Aunty Dot used her roles as activist, educator, author and Elder to raise awareness of a range of issues impacting First Nations people.

“Aunty Dot was a highly active and influential leader in the First Nations community in Melbourne’s east, working to build understanding and respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the wider community,” she said.

“In 2019, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her service to the First Nations people of Victoria.

“The artwork titled Binak Ngarrgu (Basket of Knowledge), is a sculptural gathering place designed by First Nations artist Simone Thomson, a Wurundjeri, Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri woman, with Weston Rumbold Art Projects (WRAP).”

A new sculpture and gathering place in Boronia honours Aunty Dorothy ‘Dot’ Peters

A new sculpture and gathering place in Boronia honours Aunty Dorothy ‘Dot’ Peters.

At the heart of the artwork is a gathering circle engrained with flowing lines representing two rivers, Birrarung (Yarra River) and Dhungala (Murray River), reflecting Aunty Dot’s two Clans and her deep relationship to Country.

Aunty Dot learnt the art of basket and eel trap weaving from her grandmother and was passionate about passing on the tradition to future generations.

The artwork includes the poppy symbol, acknowledging Aunty Dot’s commitment to having First Nations service men and women recognised throughout Australia. Her father, Vincent Robert Peters, was a prisoner of war who died on the Thai-Burma Railway in 1943.

Council commissioned the artwork after successfully applying for state government funding under the Victorian Women’s Public Art Program. This program aims to address the underrepresentation of women and their achievements through the creation of public artworks.

Find out more and see the artwork just off Scoresby Road, opposite Manuka Drive in Boronia — follow the Blind Creek Trail.
 

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