Well it’s a wrap. The Keys To Our Country Portraits have come down from the walls at Deloitte and been dispersed to their new owners around the country to keep creating positive conversations about Aboriginal Culture.

This project has been rich with learning, new friendships, greater empathy and the joy that comes from being engaged in something you believe in. There have been hopes raised and dashed too which feed the learnings of how to do better next time.

I had three objectives for the series. To acknowledge and say thanks to individuals who are teaching others about Aboriginal culture; to create more positive conversations about Aboriginal culture and to raise funds for Yalari. It has been richly rewarding, exhausting and fun.

Again I would like to thank the participants. It takes guts to put your head above the parapet, to being singled out for honour, but every time someone does all of their pack feels the honour.

Bruce Pascoe Major Lancelot Sumner AM Waverley Stanley AM Deborah Cheetham AO Veronica Barnett Leila Gurruwiwi Tyrone Bean Tiffany Garvie John Patten Gina WIlliams Den Fisher Jamie Marloo Thomas

And thank you too for following the project and being part of it’s progress. My next series of portraits Leading Women’s Profile is focused on gender balance and was hung on the day these portraits came down - International Women’s Day 2019 March 8. It is up until April 8 and is almost all sold to raise funds for Bridge of Hope who help vulnerable youth.

I regularly catch up with Den Fisher for a coffee. It was his request to paint him after I said ‘I paint natives’ Meaning flora - oops) that got the whole project going. Den’s portrait with his keys pride of place is up at ‘3KND Cool n Deadly’ where he has worked as a DJ since the stations inception over 20 years ago. Den has some ideas for further artistic work together so the project could continue to grow in some form …

WRAP