First Nations Foyer

The First Nations Foyer, located at the entry to the museum features acclaimed Torres Strait Islander artist Sharon Phineasa's contemporary piece, Ngalpan Koey Maza (Our Big Reef).

The artwork celebrates the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's most significant natural ecosystems, and highlights its enduring cultural significance to coastal and seafaring communities, particularly Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Sharon Phineasa, a proud descendant of the Ayth-Koedal (Crocodile) and Dhoeybaw (Wild Yam) clans of Saibai and Dauan Islands in the Top Western Torres Strait, has had a distinguished career spanning more than 25 years.

Her work has been featured by government agencies, private corporations, The LUME exhibition in Melbourne, and includes the design of the North Queensland Cowboys' 2016 Indigenous Round jersey.

The new mural sits adjacent to the museum's Acknowledgement to Country panel that welcomes visitors and acknowledges the Wulgurukaba people, Traditional Owners of the land on which the museum stands, as well as neighbouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Townsville region.

Discover more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander objects and stories from North Queensland in our Collections Online.