Creation Station

Sacred Animals

Matthew Harris’ Yeddonba artwork is made using white ochre mixed with charcoal, charcoal and acrylic binder on hessian. The painting depicts the forms and stone shelters of the Yeddonba Aboriginal Cultural Site within the Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park, around 40mins drive from Wangaratta.. The site is sacred for local First Nations people, and features early rock art. It was used as a spiritual and ceremonial site. The Yeddonba site includes many significant areas including a rock shelter and bush tucker area, it also features an Aboriginal red-ochre painting, which is believed to be of a Tasmanian tiger (thylacine). This shows that the animal may once have inhabited the mainland. The thylacine, along with the goanna and snake, were the spirit animals of the local clans. The site was and important place for ceremony and celebration.

Animals play important spiritual roles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, deeply embedded in their Dreaming stories, totems, and connection to Country. Many communities have totems – specific animals or natural elements that represent a person’s spiritual connection to family, ancestors or land. And animals feature in Dreaming stories, which explain the creation of the world, the laws of nature and ways of living. They can also have ceremonial significance, like they do at Yeddonba – representing spiritual forces or ancestors.

Many animals face extinction, or are extinct like the thylacine, and this can be due to human impact, of land clearing reducing their habitats, invasive species threatening them and competing for food, pollution or hunting. Many also die on roads.

Our Creation Station activity asks you to create your own signpost warning of animal crossings, or create your own special animal using the materials provided.

The Creation Station is a free art making activity space for children and all ages. All materials are supplied and you can stay as little or as long as you like. The Creation Station is accessible at anytime during gallery opening hours.