Posted September 2013
Children at KU Bilya Gulyangarri in North Katoomba have helped create a large rainbow serpent at the entrance gate of the preschool.
The joint project was founded by the local Aboriginal community and the preschool, and has been made possible due to a grant from the Bendigo Bank and Children First Access. The rainbow serpent is made up of a large mosaic with a carved sandstone head.
Local elder, Aunty Carol Cooper, from the Aboriginal Culture and Resource Centre (ACRC), and other members of the local community celebrated the launch of the project with a morning tea, where work began on laying rainbow coloured stones along the serpent's body.
"The rainbow serpent represents our strong and rich relationship with the Aboriginal community. We are committed to supporting Aboriginal families and children's attendance at our preschool, by sharing our cultures together," said KU Bilya Gulyangarri Director, Trudi Kirkwood.
"Bilya Gulyangarri means ‘place of laughing children' in Dharug, and we hope the rainbow serpent outside the grounds of our preschool will become a talking point in the community, representing a welcome to all families and children," Ms Kirkwood said.