'LOST FIGURES' MURAL

The mural stretches four storeys high and depicts two figures painted as if behind beveled glass. The two figures presented is young Aboriginal woman, Patyegarang and British Lieutenant, William Dawes who have become central to the preservation of the Aboriginal language in Sydney through Dawes' diaries.

Magee was inspired to create the mural during the pandemic after looking into colonial figures and wondering ‘Are there other people or other figures that aren’t talked about as much and aren’t being represented in public art?’

Magee spoke to City of Sydney and recalled, ‘I came across the story of William Dawes and Patyegarang in my research. For me, it's just a perfect story because so many figures in the early colonial period were associated with destruction of culture, compared to people that worked to preserve language and preserve culture.

“I wanted to honour those figures, the people that actually work to preserve, not just destroy. So that's where the inspiration came from. I just wanted to challenge traditional colonial narratives and honour figures that may have been forgotten through time.”

The mural will remain on the building’s exterior until the end of 2023. In the meantime, a permanent artwork to recognise Patyegarang is in the works to be a part of the Eora Journeys program, Yananunrala, a curated 9 kilometre harbour walk that highlights Aboriginal stories, people and places.

Find out more about this mural at news.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/articles/new-mural-depicts-obscured-faces-from-australias-past