The Sydney Swans and Hawthorn will begin Marn Grook Round with an exchange of cultural gifts at Henson Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Swans will give a Shellwork Sydney Habour Bridge designed by Aunty Maxine Ryan, a First Nations artist from La Perouse with connections to the Bidigal Clan of the Dharawal Nation. Maxine is a member of the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and has a background in education and disability support.
Shellwork Art is a unique practice in the La Perouse and Coastal Sydney community. It is a craft that has been passed down from mothers, aunties, and grandmothers over many generations. it is often exchanged as gifts to distinguished guests to Sydney such as Royalty, and a remains a significant part of the community across the east coast of Sydney.
It originally began as a tourism market, where women and children would collect small shells along the beach and create art such as boomerangs, jewellery boxes and shoes to sell to the wider community.
The community of La Perouse continues to create Shellwork to educate and share the knowledge of their old people with the broader community and younger generations.
The Swans will host Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon at Henson Park. Gates open at 1:45pm, with first bounce scheduled for 3:05pm
