Warami Guwi Ngallawali (Welcome – come and sit down at) Rooty Hill Public School

This mural at the front of Rooty Hill Public School was created as a collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students attending Rooty Hill Public School working with local Dharug community artist, Leanne Tobin. Certain design elements have been incorporated into the artwork from the drawings the students created together during workshops in Term 4, 2021.

Depicted running through the artwork is the local waterway Eastern Creek, an important fresh waterway shared by the Wawarrawarry and Gomerrigal clans of the Dharug nation.

Mariong (emu) and Buru (kangaroo) are important Dharug totems that tell about lore for men and women and many engravings can still be found throughout Dharug country. Wali (possum) is a collective totem signifying the woodlands Dharug people and was used widely as food for some but also as cloaks for keeping warm.

Hunting, collecting and fishing were regular activities here as it was an active, living place not so long ago and the people would be seen out and around the water. Burra (eels) and Warridjal (mullet) moved throughout the creeks on their migration paths and were a great food source along with Kutukulung (long neck turtle).

The Red-bellied Black Snake shown is the schools’ special totemic animal. He is shown here as a protector and reminds us to walk carefully and with respect on the land of the Dharug.