Connecting the dots for carnival

The Indigenous artwork of proud Gooreng Gooreng and Wakka Wakka women Lakarri Faerber has featured on this year’s Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball (QISSN) carnival uniforms and merchandise.

The CQUniversity student and St James College graduate was selected to commission the artwork which was featured on the carnival program and other official QISSN merchandise including the main QISSN shirt.

“I graduated in 2021 from St James College, and whilst at school I did a lot of Indigenous artworks for them,” Lakarri said.

“When the opportunity came about for the QISSN uniforms and merchandise they reached out to see if I wanted to design it for them. As an ex school student of St James College and QISSN player, it was an honour to be chosen to create the design,” she said.

“I’ve been creating Indigenous artwork since I was young. Creating artworks has always been in my family for the generations and it’s how I connect to my country, my people and speak on our stories.”

Currently based in Mackay but originally from Gladstone, Lakarri said the artwork was a “representation of hope and connectedness”.

“The artwork speaks on all the barriers we face and how a little bit of hope and community can help to overcome,” she explained. 

“It speaks on all the connections and relationships we’ve build through our lives, weather that be through school (teachers and our peers) or sports (coaches, teammates, managers).” 

Lakarri is currently studying a Certificate II in Engineering – Production Technology and said she chose that career path as she wanted to get into the mining industry.

“After I graduated from high school, I thought starting the course would be a great opportunity to get my foot in the door,” she said. 

“The opportunities with CQU are endless and I knew that doing training with both BHP and CQU that I would be able to complete my studies and have the opportunity to further my studies later on.”