SAVANNAH WAY ART TRAIL

About the trail

The Gulf Savannah region of North Queensland reaches west from the Atherton Tablelands to the Northern Territory border. It encompasses the five local government areas that participated in this project, and the towns of Georgetown, Croydon, Karumba, Normanton, Burketown and Doomadgee. All of these towns are classified as ‘very remote’[1], denoting a population density of fewer than one person per hectare, geographic remoteness from large towns and capital cities, and low access to major facilities and services. Beef cattle production, fishing, and local government are major industries of employment across the region, though it is growing an active tourism industry. 

In January 2019, Arts Queensland and the Regional Arts Services Network presented a project brief to the Doomadgee, Etheridge, Croydon, Carpentaria and Burke Shire Councils for the development and installation of a cohesive series of large-scale feature artworks. It was proposed that through a collaborative and consultative process driven by councils, residents and arts communities, each Shire would determine a narrative that represents its unique local identity. These unique identities would be reflected in public art installations and curated to connect the towns of Doomadgee, Burketown, Karumba, Normanton, Croydon and Georgetown in the telling of a regional story. 

In 2021, CQUniversity secured partnership investment through the Regional Arts Services Network to project manage the Art Trail project and facilitate a competitive EOI process to engage a lead artist to develop the 6 large scale public artworks. Manning Daly Art were successful in the tender.

The development and production of the project has involved a collaborative and consultative process between local councils, traditional owners, residents, members of local arts communities and the lead artists on the project, Manning Daly Art. Community workshops were held in each local community over a period of three years to determine the narrative to be expressed in each location, and to provide opportunities for local artists (particularly First Nations artists) to participate in concept development and engage in learning and networking opportunities.

Local First Nations artists were invited to contribute surface designs to the sculptures in Croydon, Burketown and Doomadgee. Siyesha Douglas, Krystal Spencer and Kelly Barclay worked with Manning Daly Art to contribute designs of cultural significance to the sculptures.