Wambuul Ngumbaay

Evolving Gorget is a series of pieces representing my Country and Wambuul, also known as the Macquarie River.  Their shape and style are derived from gorgets, breastplates and King and Queen plates.  They have been made with natural and manmade materials, using cultural and contemporary techniques. These are memories of time spent on Wambuul through childhood – rain, water, and sunshine. 

Aboriginal breastplates originate from the gorget. It was a piece of cloth worth by French women during the medieval period which evolved into armour. 200 years later it became decorative military regalia. In Australia it was modified again by colonizers and given to First Nations People as a way of recognition and reward.   Today Aboriginal breastplates continue to be divisive.