The late Uncle Archie Roach and Aunty Ruby Hunter will be honoured in the Naarm (Melbourne) suburb of Fitzroy, with statues to be erected to celebrate the two much-loved community leaders.
The statues will celebrate the pair's lifetime of music and community achievements whilst also paying tribute to the Stolen Generations.
Fitzroy has been selected as the location for the statues to be installed due to the area's rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, as it is the place where many survivors of the Stolen Generations found family for the first time.
Uncle Archie and Auntie Ruby were both members of the stolen generations, and both have strong ties to the Fitzroy area.
Fitzroy is where Uncle Archie found his brothers and sisters and reconnected to his culture, and both he and lifelong partner Auntie Ruby wrote songs about their lives on the streets of Naarm's inner-northern suburb.
Archie Roach's sister Aunty Myrtle Roach said both Uncle Archie and Auntie Ruby had a special connection with the Fitzroy area.
"I remember good times with my dear baby brother Archie in Fitzroy / Collingwood and Ruby right beside him," she said.
"We shared many good times here together as a family.
"May the spirit of dear Archie and Ruby always be here."
Both Uncle Archie and Auntie Ruby love of Fitzroy is woven through their stories and intrinsically linked to their music, with many of their iconic songs celebrating the streets of the area.
Niece of Uncle Archie and Auntie Ruby Tracey Evans said Fitzroy culture had a significant impact on Uncle Archie's life.
"Archie had a deep love and connection to ole Fitzroy," she said.
"As a Stolen Generation (survivor) his search for family brought him to the streets of Fitzroy, reconnecting him to his people and immersing him in his culture.
"It was here that Archie met his brothers and sisters many years ago.
"He was finally home and for the first time in his life he finally belonged."
A number of Uncle Archie and Auntie Ruby's songs were influenced by their Fitzroy surroundings, as the pair spent much time in the alleyways and parks of Fitzroy's Gertrude Street.
"Archie's iconic songs 'Charcoal Lane' and 'F Troop' reminisce about the days of ole Fitzroy," Ms Evans said.
"Ruby's song 'Down City Streets' also tells the story of life on the streets.
"They are songs of survival.
"The memory of Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter lives here and will always be a part of this town."
The Yarra City Council and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation will commission an artist to create statues that will be installed in Fitzroy.
Yarra Mayor Sophie Wade said the story of Uncle Archie and Auntie Ruby is deserving of public recognition in the Fitzroy area.
"The story of Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter is truly unique and needs to be shared," she said.
"This artwork will bring new audiences to their music and spark a revival from devoted fans, while also highlighting the important Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history of this area.
"The artworks will also help to address the under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in public statues, and highlight the challenges faced by Stolen Generation survivors."
It is anticipated that the statues will be installed in November 2023.
