The Deadly Western Connections Story
The Aboriginal Services Network of the West (ASNoW) established the Deadly Western Connections website in 2021 to increase opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community connections and improve access to services in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
In 2020, the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network provided a grant to the Network to build on the capacity to provide culturally safe services and improve communications with Aboriginal community.
In early 2022, the Aboriginal Services Network expanded its scope from Wyndham-Hobsons Bay to include all western metropolitan Melbourne, representing community service organisations across a range of sectors that have agreed to work together to promote and provide culturally safe programs and services according to local Aboriginal community priorities.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community here in the western suburbs have long expressed the difficulty in finding out about what’s happening in their local community and where to find accessible services.
The Aboriginal Steering Group for the Network decided that the grant provided resources to establish this website in a time when we experienced how vital online connections could be throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We were pleased to engage two 100% Aboriginal owned and operated businesses to create the website with us: Bayila Creative has designed the artwork; NGNY has built the website.
This website has been designed to facilitate conversations between community and the ASNoW to ensure it stays relevant and useful to community. Here, community can share their yarns, news and promote local events. The aim is that this be an Aboriginal community website, in Aboriginal hands
If you are a service provider who wants to inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the western suburbs about your services and programs, please contact the website Administrators with your information and updates to be considered for posting on this website.
Artwork
Dixon Patten is a proud Yorta Yorta and Gunnai man and has family bloodlines from Gunditjmara, Dhudhuroa, Wiradjuri, Yuin, Wemba Wemba, Barapa Barapa, Monaro.
Dixon is an experienced graphic designer and practicing artist and has several family members who have influenced him and have given him knowledge of traditional art practices and stories. Before moving into freelance operation Dixon was employed by the Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre in Melbourne for eight years.
Dixon is a Director and Graphic Artist/Designer at Bayila Creative.
Artwork Narrative
The guiding philosophy of the Walking Together Logo is that community is the central focus of the
collective that have come together to build the resources of the community in the region.
The flow 'W' shape depicts water and represents the connection between the rivers, lakes, creeks and bay.
There is also a lot of synergy with the 'W', representing:
Western Community
Werribee River
Wyndham
Walking together, and
Wurrung-speaking Traditional Owners.
The flow of the 'W' represents the Werribee River and waterways in the West.
Within eagles wings, represents the red cliffs along the Werribee River, that signify Connection to Country.
The ancestors in the cloak represent that we are a diverse mob with different lore, customs, but we all adhere to the cultural values of honouring land, family and community.
Bunjil is guiding us through our journey.
The circle at the top represents community connection and everyone coming together to care for and support one another.
website
NGNY is a 100% Aboriginal owned and operated end-to-end digital agency founded in 2014 by Liam Ridgeway and John Saulo.
At NGNY we want to make an impact on our community. We coined a term Indigenous Digital Economy which aims to identify and build on the ways in which technology can positively impact on Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander culture and community sustainability.
We follow a customer-centric approach which allows us to be agile throughout the design and build process to allow for changing requirements of our clients through early continuous delivery.