WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised the following article contains the name and image of an Indigenous person who has died.
The life and legacy of the late Mununjali broadcaster, author, and community leader Wayne Coolwell will be celebrated in a new free State Library of Queensland showcase opening on 28 March.
'Through Mununjali Eyes': photojournalist Wayne Coolwell presents more than five decades of Aboriginal political, social and cultural life through Mr Coolwell's own photography.
Mr Coolwell, who passed in 2025, built a career across broadcasting, writing, visual arts and community leadership.
He began working professionally at 15 and later became known nationally as an ABC sports broadcaster and through Speaking Out — a program which brought Indigenous perspectives to a national audience.
The exhibition includes photographs of First Nations figures including Neville Bonner, Archie Roach, Stan Grant, Ernie Dingo and Ruby Hunter, as well as portraits of Mr Coolwell's family and community.
The showcase began as a partnership between the State Library and Mr Coolwell, whose leadership and cultural authority helped shape the project.
Following his death in May 2025, the exhibition was completed in consultation with co-curator Jo-Anne Driessens and Mr Coolwell's family.
Mr Coolwell previously reflected on the influences that first drew him to photography.
"My mother used to store a lot of National Geographic magazines... I saw these magnificent colour photographs and thought 'wow this is a world I dont know but it was amazing,'" Mr Coolwell said.
"From there I got bitten by it and ended up falling in love with it and got a Box Brownie.
"Getting that moment in time was magic."
Mr Coolwell spoke about the people and moments which shaped his outlook as a young Aboriginal man.
"The magic of watching Martin Luther King in ther 60's... seeing a black man on television and hearing that speech," he said.
"Watching Yvonne Goolagong and Lionel Rose - all these things had an impact on me as a young Aboriginal fella.
"As long as you contribute you can do something... it doesn't matter if you're black or white you've got to test yourself as a human being."
That outlook continued through his work and public life.
"What you can do and how you can change this world," Mr Coolwell said.
Queensland Minister for Education and the Arts, John-Paul Langbroek, said the showcase highlighted the strength of Mr Coolwell's contribution to Queensland.
"Wayne Coolwell was an extraordinary Queenslander whose work, life and legacy are still tremendously important today," Mr Langbroek said.
"This showcase reminds us of the enduring documentary power of curiosity, empathy and storytelling."
State Librarian and chief executive, Vicki McDonald, said the exhibition offered an important record of modern Aboriginal Australia.
"Through Mununjali eyes: photojournalist Wayne Coolwell offers a unique visual journal of the people, places and movements that shaped modern Aboriginal Australia," Ms McDonald said.
"These photographs show how Wayne Coolwell was able to capture with equal care authentic moments of quiet personal joy and significant national change.
"State Library is thrilled to celebrate the life of this true cultural pioneer."
'Through Mununjali Eyes' opens at the State Library of Queensland on 28 March. Bookings are required.
