We are proud to have supported Brian Robinson to deliver his incredible artwork Windswept: Aquila Audux – a large scale suspended artwork which was commissioned by Whitehorse City Council for the Nunawading Community Hub.
Robinson sought approval of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation to tell the story of Bunjil the wedgetailed eagle and the creator of the environment who, along with his family, were blown into the heavens where they became stars: Bunjil(Alpha Aquilae) and his two wives (Gamma Aquilae and Beta Aquilae).
As Brian explains:
“Mythical tales explaining the origins of landforms and all manner of natural phenomena are part of the folklore of all peoples. Australia‘s First Nations peoples have ancestral Dreamtime myths about the beginnings of their part of the world. These stories are told through oral teachings and creative forms that lay down songlines, crisscrossing the continent. These stories and song-lines have continued to teach generations of descendants, stretching back for tens of thousands of years, about the rhythm of life.
Creation is believed to be the work of cultural heroes who travelled across a formless land, making sacred sites along the way. They effectively layered the Australian continent with cultural nuance and deeper meaning.
For the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, Bunjil the wedge-tailed eagle is the creator of the environment. According to legend, after creating the mountains, rivers, flora, fauna, and laws for humans to live by, he gathered his family and asked Waa, the keeper of the winds, to let some wind out. Waa did so, creating a cyclone that uprooted trees. Bunjil asked for a stronger wind. Waa complied and Bunjil and his family were blown into the heavens where they became stars: Bunjil (Alpha Aquilae) and his two wives (Gamma Aquilae and Beta Aquilae).”