Arcadia hosted a Reconciliation Week panel event in the Reconciliation Garden at the Mayne Medical Building at the University of Queensland. The theme of the panel was “Designing with Country: co-design and collaboration in built environment” with an inspiring First Nations panel, including:
Gaja Kerry Charlton: Gaja Kerry is an Elder; Cultural Custodian and Traditional Owner in three local native title claims – (Quandamooka, Yuggera Ugarapul Peoples (YUP) and Kabi Kabi – as well as Walangama) in the Gulf; South Sea Islander and Celtic heritage. Her strong cultural foundation and social justice values underpin her career in teaching, counselling, consultancy and community building with cross-sector work includes multi-level committees and Boards, including the State Government Indigenous Languages Policy Working Group; Co-Chair of UQ RAP Steering Committee. Gaja Kerry is a cultural linguist, researcher and author, and currently a Fellow at UQ in the School of Languages and Culture.
Francis Nona: proud Torres Strait Islander, Francis Nona, is a Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Queensland. Francis teaches First Nations public health in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at UQ. Francis is also passionate about decolonising research and making legitimate and protected space for Indigenous Knowledges that can better address health inequities experienced by First Nations peoples in Australia and around the world.
Carol Vale: Dungutti woman, Carol Vale, is the founder of Murawin Pty Ltd, a national, Indigenous consultancy, which is driven by strong family and Indigenous cultural values. She works across a wide range of social and public policy areas that directly affect Indigenous Australians and communities. In built environment projects, Carol brings her technical and cultural knowledge, experience and expertise across research and evaluation, strategy and policy, and Indigenous governance and placemaking.
Guests from the built environment and education sectors in Brisbane attended, where they were guided through the Reconciliation Garden by representatives from Arcadia, who shared details of the collaborative design process, narrative and Indigenous planting, including bush medicine and bush tucker plants used by the UQ medical students in their studies.
The panel then generously shared their thoughts on processes, procedures and protocols in Country-centred design before everyone enjoying lunch by Indigenous caterer Three Little Birds.
Thank you to the panelists, to everyone who was able to join us and to the School of Public Health at University of Queensland for providing us with access to the Reconciliation Garden for the event.
