I pay deep respect to the Juru people of the Birri Gubba Nation as the Traditional and Ongoing Custodians of the land where I live, work and create. I acknowledge their strong and ongoing connection to the lands, waters and community. I’d like to thank them for the custodianship, care and love they have given to this area, extending from the mountain ranges right out to the Great Barrier Reef. I acknowledge and appreciate the Juru and neighbouring Bindal communities for the generous contributions and care they give to this region. I pay deep respect to the Elders, past and present.

I celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ culture, rich with storytelling, art and creative practice. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land. I recognise your deep spiritual connection to the land and your community, and its direct link to your identity. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.