Artist : Isabell Moran was a practicing artist for over 40 years and an elder of local Birpai/Dunghutti nations.

Sponsor: Gathangga Wakulda Language and Culture Centre

Location: 1/48 High Street, Wauchope NSW 2446

Description / Inspiration

According to the artist, Isabell Moran, “Bindi” means Black Princess – “spirit woman.” The name Bindi also represents a positive “spiritual force” for Isabell and her Biripi and Dunghutti descendants. Isabell said: “Bindi is all around us – she is in the rocks, she is the mountain and the sea”. She is a strong influence on the culture of our people and our land.
Isabell said that the Koala is like a baby to her Aboriginal people. Her ancestors saw the koala as an animal to be nurtured and protected, like a baby. For this reason they never killed the koala for food, unlike other native animals.
“Bindi” Koala is richly patterned with track designs and also depicts the movement of Koala through Birpai country from the mountains to the sea. Other totemic animals are also represented. The work overall features the colourful layered dot technique that Isabell used in her paintings.
Isabell said, “Just like a lot of the koala sculptures around the area Bindi is a powerful princess who will lift people’s spirits and she will also be calling a lot of people to come and visit her soon”.

Artist Biography

Isabell Moran was a practising artist for over 40 years. An elder of local Biripi/Dunghutti nations, Isabell founded and ran the Bindi Cultural Centre, Wauchope for many years. She exhibited her work widely and her artwork has been sold both nationally and internationally. Isabell was one of the concept design artists for the Cowarra Dam Public Art project, a partnership with Port Macquarie Hastings Council Waterwise, North Coast TAFE and Bunyah Local Aboriginal Land Council. Isabell made a great contribution to the local community, and recently a number of artworks to the new palliative care unit at the Wauchope Hospital. Isabell Moran passed away in March 2023.

Having a Hello Koalas sculpture painted by Isabell Moran resident at Gathangga Wakulda Language and Culture Centre is an outstanding way to honour the life and work of this important artist from our region who was much loved by the community.

"Gathangga Wakulda was founded in 2024 by a collective of Gathang-speaking community members, as a community-led corporation, carrying language forward for the continuation of language and culture across Birrbay, Warrimay and Guringay Country.

We exist to ensure that Gathang-speaking peoples have a thriving, sustainable future — where our language is embedded in everyday life, where our cultural knowledge is passed down through generations, and where our people can connect, learn and thrive.

Our organisation was established by community members who recognised the need for dedicated spaces to revitalise, teach and celebrate our language and culture. The work is driven by a commitment to self-determination, community empowerment and language continuation — ensuring that what we do is led by our people, for our people.

Through education, training, cultural initiatives and partnerships, we work to create meaningful opportunities for our community — whether through language teaching in schools, cultural workshops, resource development, or economic ventures yet to come.

As we grow, Gathangga Wakulda will continue to advocate for Gathang language and culture to be recognised, supported and present in all aspects of life. We are here to ensure that our language and identity remain strong, our knowledge continues to be shared, and our people have a place to connect and belong."

https://www.gathang.org.au/about/

Location Info

Corner of High Street and Oxley Lane. Email ceo@gathang.org.au, admin@gathang.org.au