In March 2024, the Children and educators were lucky to get a visit from Garry Purchase who is a proud Aboriginal man of Dharawal, Bidjigal and Dhungutti descent. He grew up in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs in Botany and was raised amongst the Aboriginal community of La Perouse.
He shared his culture with the children, some stories, his artworks and showed the children some of the tools they use to hunt.
More about Garry Purchase
Artistically, he first started painting after he moved to the Central Coast with his wife and 3 sons in 2013.
His style is a more modern take on traditional Aboriginal art, steering away from the common dreamtime stories and focusing on his own personal journey, experiences and social issues that pushes a lot of creative boundaries as he stretches the limits of what Aboriginal art can be.
His works have attracted a lot of attention and have also earned Garry a few awards. He took out the major first prize Tony Donovan Award at Reconciliation Exhibition at Gosford Regional Gallery in both 2014 and 2016 with “One Nation” and “Under The Southern Cross” respectively.