by Marcus Priaulx
Jennifer Juderjahn’s interest in traditional art has had her shortlisted to win a world cultural heritage prize.
The University of New England archaeology student entered a poster competition that will be judged by leading heritage professionals from around the globe.
They are from the fields of archaeology, anthropology, architecture and associated professions and will gather in Canberra for the four-day International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) conference on October 31.
Jennifer has been invited to showcase her work and is now trying to raise funds to get her there.
The competition theme was “Imagined Past, Imagined Futures” and Jennifer’s work centred on a mural within the Bunya Dreaming Garden at St Mary’s Catholic College in Kingaroy.
It was painted by the Stewart family of Wondai.
“What many archaeologists and anthropologists do is look at ancient artworks and try to decipher the meaning of them,” Jennifer said.
“I’ve gone to the Stewart family and spoke with the father Les.
“He and his wife Sally have passed on their knowledge of rock art that’s been handed to them by their parents and grandparents and former generations before that.
“They’re now passing that knowledge onto their children as they all paint together.
“This family tradition has been passed through the ages on both Sally and Les’s sides.
“They hold the secrets of the past and are carrying them into the future.”
The winning poster will be named at the ICOMOS conference’s closing ceremony.
A $500 prize is up for grabs but Jennifer said that was of no consequence.
“The poster will be out there for the academic community to see,” she said.
“That can only help me to achieve my dream to work as an archaeologist studying Aboriginal rock art and sites.
“That is my life dream.”
