When new students commence they are allocated faction by office staff. Parents are notified of their child’s faction once the student has commenced. Our faction colours and names were selected by students and incorporate Aboriginal language and animal totems.
Settlers Primary School engaged Aboriginal Artist, Peter Farmer to design the artwork for our new faction shirts to depict the 4 animal totems chosen by the students to represent each of the factions.
The Artwork:
Explanation from the artist
SETTLER PRIMARY SCHOOLS TOTEMIC THEMED FACTION T-SHIRTS
Settlers Primary Schools Leadership Group made the decision in 2021 to prescribe to representing local Noongar Totems on their Sporting Factions T-shirts.
Explaining my interpretations throughout has been a privilege and an honour for myself and my Arts Practice.
➢ The first that I wanted to talk about was Red – MIRDA translates to the colour; YONGKA translates to the Kangaroo the Animal Totem that they chose for this colour, which represents strong families.
➢ The second is Green – NOOJAM, translates to the colour; WARDONG is the Black Crow and a strong Noongar Totem that represents resilience.
➢ The third is Blue – WOOYAN, translates to my favourite colour; KWILENA translates to the Dolphin an important Ocean & Fresh-water Noongar Totem that represents adaptability.
➢ The fourth and final is Yellow – YOONT translates to this colour; KAARDA translates to an extremely important Noongar Totem, which is often interpreted and representative of healing & renewal.
PETER FARMER, 2022. © All rights reserved.
About the Artist:
Peter John Farmer II
Born Gnowangerup, Western Australia 1971
Peter was born in Gnowangerup in 1971; and lived a semi-traditional early life on a reserve until his family moved into a house in the late 1970’s. Peter enrolled in a Contemporary Aboriginal Arts Degree, and went on to complete a Bachelor of Visual/Fine Arts in 2001; since graduating he has been part of numerous group exhibitions thatinclude Encounters Exhibition – BRITISH Museum 2016; CHOGM -Office of Premier Cabinet WA & Nomad 2 Worlds 2011; “About this Place” Holmes A Court Gallery, VASSE FELIX 2013; 3 Noongar Painters – Goddard de Fiddes 2009… Peter held his first solo exhibition in 2009 at Goddard de Fiddes Gallery; this exhibition was an exploration of his family totems the “Blue Wren” & “Fire”; continuing to find ways of representing the many Dreaming stories of both his mothers and fathers ancestral lands.
Peter’s been fortunate enough to have been awarded many large Public Art Works Commissions throughout his professional journey & took out the West Australian Landscape Architectural Award in 2008 for his first sculpture.
He has produced a myriad of large installations across the state & country including Fiona Stanley Hospital – 13 meter Eel; New Midland Hospital – Shade Canopies; Inaugural Indigenous Guernsey for the West Coast Eagles; Yaburgurt Sculpture Mandurah; the New Optus Stadium – Chevron Park; Woodside Energy; Melbourne Central Tower GPT (City of Melbourne) and a couture shoe for Professor “Jimmy Choo” (WA Museum).
Peter believes that art is an incredible tool that helps him break down barriers & builds understanding and an appreciation of his language and cultural belief systems… He works extensively throughout educational systems, to help the wider communities understand the deep connectedness his people have to the environment and the flora and fauna that reside in it… He believes as his ancestors did, that all life is to be valued and sustained in way that is beneficial to the continued survival of humans on this planet…
“Art being the tool for the ongoing learning Journey”