Events

There is a rich history of shell art associated withe La Perouse area, with many famous Indigenous artists working with the natural resources of the beautiful beaches along Botany Bay. In this free all ages workshop, you'll have the opportunity to learn from artists Aunty Lola Ryan and Aunty Maxine Ryan from Gujaga Foundation. No experience needed. Children must be supervised at all times.

Workshop leaders

The Gujaga Foundation is the peak organisation leading language, cultural and research activities within the La Perouse Aboriginal community. Gujaga works collaboratively with Elders, knowledge holders and leading academics. Gujaga provides services to educational, cultural and corporate organisations relating to our cultural area within eastern, southern and south western Sydney.

Lola Ryan is an Aboriginal woman from the La Perouse Aboriginal Community, located on the northern side of Botany Bay. She is a devoted mother to 3 children and loves spending her spare time with her family and two granddaughters aged 6 and 3 years old.

Lola is the Aboriginal Health Worker for the Child & Family Health Team of Sydney Children’s Hospital Network Randwick, a position she has held for 18 years. Her passion is improving the health outcomes for Aboriginal families with children aged 0-5 years and to work on projects that can make a difference in engaging Aboriginal families to take care of their health and wellbeing as well as their family’s needs.

Maxine Ryan is an Aboriginal woman from the La Perouse Aboriginal Community, located on the northern side of Botany Bay. She is a devoted wife and mother to thee boys and loves spending her spare time with her family and four beautiful grandchildren. Maxine has a background in education with many years spent working the local public schools and in community with families who have family members with a disability.

She has passed on her passion for Aboriginal arts and crafts to her grandchildren, especially shell art that she learned from her mother, a craft that has been passed down through generations of her family.