Signage conveying Indigenous traditions, stories and knowledge has been installed in seven public parklands to the north and south of the city.
Funded through a $60,000 Embracing 2018 grant from the Queensland Government, the eight interpretive signs are a legacy of the Commonwealth Games.
The signs tell stories and share local knowledge, explore Cairns social history from an Indigenous perspective and acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is alive and continues to change and adapt.
Each sign relates to the area surrounding its location and explores themes including: the acknowledgment of the Traditional Owners and a message of welcome to visitors; local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history before European settlement; the ongoing connection to Country of the current generation of Traditional Owners; providing an Indigenous interpretation of local flora; exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity through cultural animal species and totems; land and sea management; and bush tucker food processing and technology.
Signs can be found at:
- Ravizza Park, Edmonton
- Norman Park, Gordonvale
- O'Shea Esplanade, Machans Beach
- Smith Library
- Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove
- Vasey Esplanade, Trinity Beach
- Babinda Information Centre
