Community ‘Mullet Run’ mural from NAIDOC 2023 mounted at Hawks Nest beach Myall Coast Myall Coast - popup ad by News Of The Area - Modern Media - September 21, 2023 The new ‘Mullet Run’ mural, the work of many hands from NAIDOC celebrations back in July. MULLETS now run across the walls near Hawks Nest’s Bennetts Beach, as the ‘Mullet Run’ mural was mounted overlooking Providence Bay Park on Tuesday, 12 September. Begun back in July as an integral part of the first ever NAIDOC Week festivities held at Tea Gardens Public School campus, the mural depicts a significant event upon nature’s calendar that is integral to the local Worimi Aboriginal cultural story. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “The Worimi would come down from all over Country, usually around autumn, when they saw the hairy grubs starting to climb up the trees, which told them to the mullets were about to run up the river and along the beaches,” Worimi Elder Aunty Fran Flaus told NOTA. “Worimi people have strong and unbroken cultural connections to the Bila (Rivers) and open oceans in and surrounding Worimi Country, and for generations, we have used our cultural knowledge, skills, and experience to spot, track and catch Biiwa (mullet) to nourish our families, to keep our body, mind and spirit strong, and connect us to Ngaya Barray (Mother Earth) who provides all,” explained Worimi Elder Aunty Dr Liz McEntyre. “This special Artwork created by the community honours Worimi Elders, and the Biiwa Run which happens each year in the sea waters from late summer to early winter.” The mural itself was a real community effort, made by the many hands of those who attended the NAIDOC event at TGPS in July, and you might find your fish if you go up and look long enough. Led by local artist Jeanette Hart, the Myall River Art Walk Group painstakingly pieced the paper fish together upon the sea-blue background board, which was donated by the Hawks Nest Tea Gardens Progress Association. The mural’s wall is spacious enough to accommodate at least two more NAIDOC murals, which are already planned to be mounted alongside, slowly but surely adds to the beautification of Providence Bay Park, which has received a lot more attention over the last few years. By Thomas O’KEEFE The finished and newly-mounted mural now overlooks finished and mounted at Providence Bay Park, near the Beach, with the whale murals in the background. Worimi Elders Aunty Fran and Uncle Denis Flaus with the new NAIDOC 2023 Mullet Run mural.
