Rockingham residents made a dot painting. Photo by Peter Le Scelle
Camera IconRockingham residents made a dot painting. Photo by Peter Le Scelle Credit: Supplied/PETER LE SCELLE

Rockingham residents’ dot painting for ranger parks

Vanessa SchmittWeekend Kwinana Courier

ABOUT 80 Rockingham resident created a giant community dot painting at the Rockingham Rotary Market.

The residents participated to show their support for a proposal for 5 million hectares of new national parks in Outback WA.

The painting, led by Indigenous artist Grace Comeagain from Urban Indigenous, was a show of support for Create Ranger Parks.

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The painting will be presented as a gift to Rockingham MLA and Premier Mark McGowan later this year.

The completed dot painting. Photo by Peter Le Scelle.
Camera IconThe completed dot painting. Photo by Peter Le Scelle. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Create Ranger Parks is a community-based initiative to create a major network of new national parks, managed by Indigenous rangers, in the Pilbara, Mid West and Gascoyne.

Under the Create Ranger Parks initiative, 5 million hectares of former pastoral stations in WA’s Outback, purchased by government for conservation 20 years ago, would become national parks for all Western Australians to enjoy.

Rockingham resident Jackie King said taking part in the dot painting was a meditative experience.

“It gave me plenty of time to reflect on the outback landscapes that we’re trying to protect,” she said.

“National parks are so important for people to connect with nature and have a break away from the stresses of city life.

“I really encourage the government to seize this huge opportunity for WA.”

Ms Comeagain said the painting represented many people from different groups talking about how to care for the land of the proposed Ranger Parks properties.

“The central circles represent a waterhole, with tracks of emu, kangaroo, lizard and snake coming to the waterhole to drink,” she said.