Promoting young Indigenous artists at Christmas time

Media Release

The Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP

Minister for Indigenous Australians

It is with great pleasure I announce eight year-old Skye Burnes from Brungle School on Wiradjuri country, New South Wales, as the winner of my 2021 Christmas card competition.

Skye’s entry, Barrandhang Christmas, celebrates spending Christmas with family surrounded by gum trees, with the Barrandhang (‘koala’ in the Wiradjuri language) chewing eucalypt leaves merrily above.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP, said the competition has become an annual tradition to get young people creating art while reflecting on what the Christmas period means to them.

“Every year I look forward to seeing how young people respond to the theme with something meaningful to them,” Minister Wyatt said.

“Through art, people tell their stories, share their history and inspire others.

“This year, we opened the competition to all primary students in Australia, not just those schools involved in the Remote Schools Attendance Strategy, and I was so impressed by the diversity of entries we received.

“The responses to the theme, Christmas in my community, demonstrated how much our young people see their family as the centre of their community.

“Barrandhang Christmas has been used as my official Christmas card this year and I want to thank Skye for her artwork, which is spreading joy this holiday season.

An online gallery of eligible entries can be viewed in the online gallery.