Deakin University has opened a new all-aged, immersive exhibition, showcasing Australia's past 140,000 years through both traditional and scientific knowledge.
Opening this week at Deakin University's Waterfront Campus, The Fire Within promises to transform the way visitors understand Australia's cultural past and present.
The 30-minute planetarium show will allow visitors to be transported to four historic locations across Australia: Girraween Lagoon on Larrakia and Wulna Country; Cloggs Cave on Gunaikurnai Country; Lake Mungo on the lands of Barkandji/Paakantyi, Ngiyampaa and Mutthi Mutthi peoples; and Jiigurru (Lizard Island) on the Great Barrier Reef.
Alongside The Fire Within there will be a showcase of new, site-specific work by Nyul Nyul Saltwater man and Wadawurrung Country-based artist Lowell Hunter, also known as The Salty One.
Originally from the Kimberley in WA, and having grown up on Gunditjmara Country, Hunter now lives in Djilang (Geelong), and his work tells stories of family and connection to identity, through sand carvings made using foot movements drawn from traditional dance.
Embers of Connection: A Journey Through Fire, Sand and Country is a large-scale installation, featuring sand-art and multimedia, and was commissioned for NAIDOC week.
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Deakin's librarian Hero Macdonald said the University's library was excited to present the exhibition to the community.
"Libraries are all about making knowledge available. The Fire Within offers visitors a chance to experience First Nations knowledge in a way they never have before," Mr Macdonald said.'
"This immersive exhibition will invite our visitors to step into a world where Western archaeological research, traditional knowledges and innovative technologies combine to offer insights into Australia's and Geelong's rich cultural history through deep time."
The Earth Above producer, Martin Potter from the Deakin Motion Lab, said Traditional Owners, as well as key community members from each nation, had woven their stories into the film, contributing to every aspect from writing to narration to speech.
"This work entangles Indigenous knowledge and Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) research, offering a transformative insight into Australia's extensive cultural and environmental past represents a change in thinking in both research methodologies and our perception of Country and place," Dr Potter said.
The Fire Within is on display at the Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library and will open free to the public Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, from 9 July until 27 September.
