Power and Water is committed to reconciliation in our workplace and our community, building meaningful relationships and helping to capture and share important cultural stories across the Territory, including through our community artwork projects.

Larrakia artists Jason Lee and Trent Lee, together with House of Darwin (a Darwin-based Aboriginal-owned social enterprise) have collaborated on the reconciliation artwork displayed here, and on Power and Water vehicles and infrastructure.

Reconciliation artwork design with hand written notes explaining the artwork elements. There are three bands. The top band of the artwork depicts the four elements of fire, earth, air and water and how the elements are connected or work together, reflecting a journey. The middle band depicts the reconciliation of Aboriginal peoples and the wider community, and building relationships through mutual respect, equity and equality. The bottom band represents two-way learning and particularly the learning journey between grandparents, parents and children.

Power and Water operates across 1.3million square kilometres of the Northern Territory. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands we live, work and operate and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and future.

About the artists

Trent Bundirrik Lee

Artist

Trent Bundirrik Lee is from Darwin and is an accomplished mural artist and traditional carver, healer, dig player, mentor and cross-cultural facilitator. He was a featured artist in Bruce Munro’s Tropical Light Festival, 2020 Darwin Street Art Festival and 2020 Palmerston Youth Centre mural.

Trent also runs Saltwater Cultural Tours mainly running tours in the local area which is the Larrakia Peoples land and waters and as a Larrakia descendant he is a traditional owner and custodian of the land which he operates on. He loves exploring and appreciating the country in which he grew up and am always looking to expand my expertise and understanding of my culture. He also guides trips to more remote and exclusive locations a few times a year.

Jason Lee

Artist

Self-taught local artist Jason Lee (Bidjpidji Art), was born and raised in Darwin, Jason draws his artistic influences from his Larrakia ancestry and the Larrakia language and cultural practices, creating a mix of contemporary and traditional styles.

He  has been part of the Darwin Street Art Festival since its inaugural event in 2017. He is also an illustrator creating images for a range of children’s and colouring in books.

House of Darwin

House of Darwin is a social enterprise with a purpose. We’re a for-profit brand driven by a call to give back to remote Indigenous communities. We initiate social programs that inspire and educate, to create change within the two worlds of Australia.

House of Darwin exists for the better of our communities. To share stories of the past and present, and shape the future by writing those left untold. We do this to pay respect to those that have paved the way in the Northern Territory, and to those who told the knowledge.

Reconciliation artwork design painted on a fire suppression tank at a Power and Water office site in Darwin (Ben Hammond Complex). The top band of the artwork depicts the four elements of fire, earth, air and water and how the elements are connected or work together, reflecting a journey. The middle band depicts the reconciliation of Aboriginal peoples and the wider community, and building relationships through mutual respect, equity and equality. The bottom band represents two-way learning and particularly the learning journey between grandparents, parents and children.