HMAS Moreton officially launched the opening of an Indigenous artwork mural, commissioned at the base in Brisbane, to acknowledge the custodians of the land and waters the base operates on.
Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Amy Brauns welcomed the local artist, Chris McGregor, and Rear Admiral Robert Plath to officially open the artwork at the quarterdeck.
Mr McGregor conducted a welcome to country, followed by a smoking ceremony, and presented his artwork to a gathering of Navy personnel and families.
Lieutenant Commander Brauns said it was a significant occasion.
“This mural shows the commitment HMAS Moreton has to the local Yuggera peoples, because the families of the Yuggera language group have a strong cultural and spiritual connection to the country,” Lieutenant Commander Brauns said.
“We recognise it is important that for genuine reconciliation to take place, a true acknowledgement of the traditional and colonial histories [should be] told respectively.
“This provides our future generations with a richer sense of culture, community and belonging.”
Mr McGregor provided an explanation of the set of murals.
“The region used to be referred to as Toogoolawah, meaning in the shape of a heart which references the shape of the rainforest region, which was cared for by the local peoples,” he said.
“The murals depict two significant sea creatures of the area, including ‘jahloo-bila’ (dolphin) and ‘boobahyan’ (sea turtle), animals which provided the local Moreton Bay Yuggera clans with spiritual guidance and sources of food.”
For Indigenous people, understanding the local ecosystems is key to survival, fulfilling the responsibility of custodianship and sustaining the environment for future generations.
“The Yuggera dancers depicted around the outside of the murals acknowledges the Deebing dance our family still do, to this day,” Mr McGregor said.
The Deebing dance recounts the local people using mangrove leaves to protect themselves from the mosquito and midges.
Consequently, Mosquito and Midge were the names of colonial vessels docked in Alice Street, the Queensland Marine Defence Force (QMDF) Depot in 1883.
The opening was followed by an honours and awards ceremony, during which two Federation Stars were presented to Rear Admiral Plath and Captain Michael Beard.
