In Daguragu, a place with deep connections to land and community, Communities in Colour was honoured to contribute to House of Darwin’s Hoop Dreams program for the Freedom Day Festival. This initiative continues to transform spaces into places of connection, creativity, and celebration.

Together with the local community, we helped bring colour and life to the space, supporting the vision created by the community for areas where culture, play, and learning can intersect. Our role was to collaborate and bring that vision to life through painting and design.

The site is steeped in history. Fifty years ago, Gurindji stockmen and their families walked off Wave Hill Station in protest against unfair working conditions — a stand that became a pivotal moment in the journey for recognition of Indigenous land rights. That action and the years of advocacy that followed eventually led to the return of land at Daguragu, commemorated today through the Freedom Day Festival. The festival remains a time for gathering, reflection, and celebration of resilience, culture, and community.

Guided by the vision of the traditional owners of the land, this project honours that history, creating a space where stories, culture, and community converge — a living reminder of the strength of this place and the people who continue to care for it.