To celebrate NAIDOC week this year, we are thrilled to unveil the Indigenous artwork that MIEngineers recently commissioned by the very talented artist, Jynaya Smith.
Jynaya Smith is a proud descendent of the Ngarrindjeri people acknowledging her many great grandfathers who occupied the Lower Murray, Coorong and Lakes area and acknowledges her many great grandmothers the Kaurna Meyunna (people) who occupied the Great Adelaide plains region both of which are through her mother's ancestry, while on her father's side Jynaya is a proud descendent of the Narangga group located throughout the Yorke Peninsular in South Australia and the Eastern Arrernte group which is locate in Alice Springs Central Australia , NT.
If you are interested in commissioning your own indigenous artwork, please reach out to Jynaya Smith via Yanun Project Services.
NAIDOC week is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The theme for NAIDOC Week 2022 is Get up! Stand up! Show up!
This artwork is one way that MIEngineers is paying tribute to the traditional custodians of our lands and the rich history that Australian soil is steeped in and the communities that have been here for thousands of years.
There is a story that accompanies the artwork and describes elements of MIEngineers’ past, present and future. It recognises the importance of our people, clients and communities in which we operate and celebrates our desire to combine quality service with technology, to meet complex challenges. We are very proud of everything this artwork represents.
The story of the artwork – called Grounded Connections – is as follows:
‘Grounded Connections tells the story of MIEngineers. From humble beginnings in 1985, as a family business in rural Australia, the artwork depicts the MacDonald family clustered at their home in Berry NSW (top middle), including Lynda and Robert MacDonald and their four children.
With people, clients, and communities at MIEngineers’ core, the larger meeting places through the middle of the artwork represent the most significant Australian office locations (Nowra, Wollongong and Sydney). A strong line connects the offices, starting at Jervis Bay on the South Coast of NSW, where First Nations people still have very strong connections, then winding through various locations acknowledging the traditional owners of those lands. They include the Jerrinja people of the South Coast of New South Wales, the Dharawal people where the Nowra office is located, Wodi-Wodi country accommodating the Wollongong office and finally acknowledging the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, the traditional owners of the Redfern, Sydney region. The Snake (top left), Whale (bottom middle) and kangaroo tracks, show respect to the some of totems and dreaming of the Aboriginal groups of these regions.
Being an international organisation, the circles (bottom right and top left) depict employees, clients and communities in overseas locations, especially the Manchester Office, and the lines between them represent current and future connections. The two meeting places spanning the Australian and international locations, represent virtual meetings and gatherings, or those held with visiting travellers. The dots of varying sizes are people, companies and stakeholders watching closely to see what comes of those connections, while the line of strong white dots represents the various coastlines, signalling the physical divide of land and water.
Various other meeting spaces (such as top right), represent MIEngineers working on projects and the interactions between our teams and our clients. With people at the heart of the organisation, the grey shapes connecting all elements represent the many ‘stepping stones’ that staff, clients and community members make throughout their time with MIEngineers and more broadly on their life’s journey.’
MIEngineers are proud and honoured to stand in support of the purpose of NAIDOC week, as well as with Indigenous and Torres Straight Islander peoples alike, and encourage all to embrace and recognise the rich and at sometimes challenging history that soaks the Australian shore lines.