A collaborative work. Chatswood High School has a Bluegum Forest in the school grounds which is cared for by a group of voluneers who are restoring the forest by encouraging the native plants. The students felt that Caring for Country was as local as the school grounds. They sat in the forest and contemplated the surroundings as well as the sounds and smells. After discussion, the students collected sticks and leaves and decided to each create a bird sculpture that could be placed back in the forest for photography.

Reconciliation means …creating, mending and strengthening relationships that will assist in rebuilding and restoring the lost trust that has been taken. Overall, it’s about forgiving each other through the building of trust and giving back what was, unrightfully, stolen. As well as accepting ideas and cultures of the past, which in turn, will keep all cultures from dying out. Reconciliation is about restoring previous cultures and giving credit to the people of the land, in order to benefit the well-being and restore the relationship of all Australians, their cultures and their environment.

Artists: Jasmine Yuen, Raya Fattahi Moein, Juliet Harding, Alisa Crotty, Cherryl Grover – Year 8