The artwork was developed by artist David Williams, Gilimbaa .
This is the story of the artwork as described by Mr Williams.
The overall tone of the artwork, created through its gentle shades, reflects the delicateness and sensitivity of the topic of the stolen wages, and the reason for the creation of the Foundation.
The two main colours, blue and ochre, represent land and sea, which represent the two people that were affected by the stolen wages and the journey they have taken.
The blue river, travelling from the bottom left of the artwork, represents the past - the history of the stolen wages. It also represents the formal acknowledgement of this past. This path takes the form of water, a fundamental element of life for Torres Strait Islanders, and also for Aboriginal people, and leads the eye to the central element of the artwork. The central element, the white circle, represents the Foundation, and the present. From this core, sections of warm ochres and blue (representing Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders) radiate outwards. These sections represent the multiple paths of opportunities and positive outcomes that are created by the Foundation. The thick white lines that border the past and future pathways are boundaries, both constraining the path of the past and broadening to open up the future.
“The overall tone of the artwork...reflects the delicateness and sensitivity of the topic of the stolen wages, and the reason for the creation of the Foundation.”
The pale brown lines that connect the pathways of opportunities represent the strengthening of bonds between individuals, families and the community as a result of the ripple effect of the benefits of the Foundation. The blue sections of this opportunity represent not only Torres Strait Islanders, but water as the source of life. This depicts the power of the Foundation to be instrumental in creating positive change on a large scale.
The sections to the top left and bottom right of the artwork, with their earthy tones, represent different areas or regions, thereby including and representing Indigenous people from all areas of Queensland and the Torres Strait. The faint brown lines that traverse these sections again represent the ripple effect of the results of the Foundation providing opportunities not just for young people who receive scholarships and bursaries but for the community on a wider scale.