Yerrin biik dhumba

Yerrin biik dhumba means bush country speaks in the past & present. Through this new work, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung elder & artist Aunty Kim Wandin, Chris Joy & Ryan Tews encourages us all to listen to the bush as a living & dynamic entity with an important message for us.  

Yerrin biik dhumba is a protest: against the continued disregard of First Nations’ practices & voices in the conversation & response to climate change; the logging projects which are decimating native forests; & short-sighted, infrastructure-focused responses to addressing the immediate effects of the climate crisis. 

The resulting work weaves together the imagery, sounds & scents of Wurundjeri Country with the wood carvings of Wurundjeri artist Lewis Wandin-Bursill to present a sensory & thought-provoking experience. Inspired by his great uncle William Barak, a ngurungaeta (leader) of Woi-wurrung, Wandin-Bursill’s carvings acknowledge the presence of Aboriginal people who have been here since the beginning of time. Transporting audiences to Wurundjeri Country, this work suggests that change is only possible when we work collectively to protect what we have. The precious bushland & forests that define the Yarra Ranges are a vital carbon sink & the last remaining refuge for everything that is Country - wildlife, water, people & plants.