A striking new mural celebrating the strength and cultural connection of Palawa women has transformed a Murray Street wall in Hobart’s CBD.
The large-scale artwork, created by Wiradjuri and Tongan artist Brandi Salmon, features an intergenerational portrait of Palawa women adorned in traditional skins, shells and ochre.
Salmon developed the piece in close collaboration with Palawa elders and knowledge holders, delivering authentic cultural representation throughout the creative process.
“This mural honours Palawa people as the traditional custodians of Lutruwita and acknowledges the deep, ongoing presence of Palawa culture,” Salmon said.
“The work celebrates Palawa matriarchs and the importance of family in the passing down of culture, knowledge and strength across generations.”
The project also provided professional development opportunities, with Salmon mentoring emerging artist Phoebe Diggle, a recent UTAS art school graduate, throughout the creation process.
“This is my second mural ever. I’ve only really painted a four-metre mural at a school before, so this is quite a big task,” Brandi said.
“It took almost around 20 days, around Christmas and New Year’s, which was a massive feat.”
Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the artwork adds to the city’s growing collection of community-driven public art.
“Public art helps us tell a range of stories about Hobart and this mural features Palawa women and their stories,” Reynolds said.
“The Hobart community have told us that they love seeing public art around the city and they’re also interested to see more representation of First Nations culture.”
The mural directly addresses historical misconceptions about Tasmanian Aboriginal history, according to Salmon.
“[It] responds to a long-held misconception that Palawa people were wiped out. This mural instead reflects survival, resistance and continuity, and recognises that Palawa culture is living and enduring,” she said.
“Aboriginal women are the backbones of our communities and I really just wanted to showcase real Aboriginal women in Palawa communities just for them to be celebrated and seen.”
The artwork forms part of the City of Hobart’s Urban Art Walls program, which aims to foster cultural understanding, storytelling and shared identity across the city.
