Aunty Dorothy Peters

Binak Ngarrgu, Basket of Knowledge
Simone Thomson (Wurundjeri, Yorta Yorta, Wiradjuri)

Photo credits: Weston Rumbold Art Projects (WRAP) and Gregg Briggs

Location: Blind Creek Reserve, 270 Scoresby Road, Boronia, City of Knox

Binak Ngarrgu, Basket of Knowledge is a sculptural gathering place that celebrates Aunty Dorothy (Dot) Peters AM. She was a Yarra Yarra Elder, a passionate First Nations activist and cultural custodian, and an educator and author.

Aunty Dot was the driving force behind the Aboriginal Remembrance Service, now held annually at the Shrine of Remembrance. And she strongly believed that culture lives through community, conversation, and generosity.

The artwork is located in Blind Creek Reserve at 270 Scoresby Road in Boronia, City of Knox, on Wurundjeri Country.

Binak Ngarrgu means “basket of knowledge” in Woi-Wurrung language and the work is a space for reflection, learning, and connection. It embodies stories of Country and culture.

The gathering circle is crafted out of stone and brass. It was created by First Nations artist Simone Thomson (Wurundjeri, Yorta Yorta, Wiradjuri).

Simone is a contemporary artist and designer who works across painting, public art and architectural integration. Her projects range from large-scale murals and public commissions to intimate works on canvas.

She is recognised for creating spaces where stories of Country are both honoured and celebrated, inviting the audience to reflect on belonging and culture.

Binak Ngarrgu was developed through a close collaboration between Simone and Weston Rumbold Art Projects (WRAP). Brass fabrication was done by Lump Sculpture Studio.

Simone says: “This artwork is a symbol of respect to Aunty Dot and pays homage to her legacy as an educator in the form of sharing cultural knowledge. It is a place of healing and acknowledgement of a strong leader and woman who left an enduring legacy.

“My connection to this work is not only professional but personal. My family has long held a connection with Aunty Dot’s family, and her strength, generosity, and vision have shaped the path for so many of us. This commission gives me the opportunity to honour her enduring spirit, and to carry forward her values of resilience, care, and cultural pride."

Aunty Dot’s son Andrew Peters says her family feels extremely honoured by the tribute to his mother.

“Mum’s pride and strength in herself and her culture were amazing and it’s a privilege to honour her in this way. I hope that we can continue to do her proud, as I know her grandsons Jackson and Max will do as they enter their journeys along the path she set for us.”

At the heart of Binak Ngarrgu, Basket of Knowledge is a gathering circle engrained with flowing lines. They represent two rivers: Birrarung (Yarra) the River of Mist and Shadows that weaves through Wurundjeri Country, and Dhungala (Murray) the Great and Mighty Waters that flow through Yorta Yorta Country. The rivers reflect Aunty Dot’s two Clans and her deep relationship to Country, connecting to the river reeds and grasses she once wove with.

Brass motifs in the artwork represent aspects of Aunty Dot’s story:

• Dhungala cod – symbolise Aunty Dot’s father, Vincent Robert Peters, who was born on Cummeragunja Reserve along the Dhungala.
• Short-finned eel – echo her father’s journey as a prisoner of war, forced to work on the Thai-Burma Railway.
• Eel traps - reflect the Birrarung and the eel traps Aunty Dot learned to weave with her grandmother.
• Flowering gums - symbolise the Yarra Yarra Clan and Aunty Dot’s resting place on Wurundjeri Country.
• Campsites - represent places of gathering, ceremony and education and honour her dedication to teaching.
• Poppy - acknowledges Aunty Dot’s commitment to having First Nations service men and women recognised and her contribution to commemorations of service men and women.

At the centre of the gathering circle sits a basket symbolising Aunty Dot’s gift and love for weaving and the sharing of knowledge.

The circle is surrounded by native grasses that root the work in Country.

Biography

Aunty Dot was born in Melbourne in 1930 and spent most of her life in the Healesville region. Aunty Dot's father, Vincent, was a Yorta Yorta man who fought in the Second World War, was captured and died a prisoner of war. Like many Aboriginal service people at the time, Vincent’s sacrifice went unacknowledged. His family was not awarded the same compensation as those of other servicemen.

Because of this injustice, Aunty Dot campaigned to have First Nations peoples’ contributions to the armed forces formally recognised. She was central in establishing the first Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. The service is now held annually nationwide.

Aunty Dot was also passionate about ensuring cultural practices and knowledge were protected, celebrated and passed down through generations.

She learned how to weave traditional baskets and eel traps from her grandmother at Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve. She hosted workshops to pass these skills and traditions onto younger generations.

Aunty Dot was an Aboriginal Educator at a local primary school and wrote a Dreaming story about how Badger Creek got its smooth rocks and clear water.

She received a prestigious Red Ochre Award from the Australia Council for the Arts in 2002 for her lifetime achievement, particularly for her baskets.

She was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women as a Local Champion in 2011. In 2019, she became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “For significant service to the Indigenous community of Victoria”.

Aunty Dot passed away in 2019.

The Women's Public Art Program complements the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, which celebrates women's outstanding leadership and contributions to life in Victoria.

Finding Her is Australia’s first interactive state-wide digital map spotlighting women’s commemorative sites. You can read about these public art projects and many more at Finding Her.

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