The Roads We Travel Bring Us Together
Since 2018, we’ve been helping our customers meet their Indigenous Procurement Policy targets and, in doing so, have enabled Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities greater access to employment opportunities right across the country.
This is thanks largely to our partnership and long-standing relationship with Gear Select – a supply nation-registered Indigenous business focussed on plant hire whilst also establishing professional pathways for indigenous talent.
Supporting the development of strong and sustainable indigenous businesses is something we are very passionate about here at Conplant. From our head office to our branch staff, and everyone in between, forming stronger connections between Aboriginal Australians and non-Aboriginal Australians is an integral belief we all share and a core value we continue to uphold.
And how we see these stronger connections develop is beautifully illustrated in the artwork we have on a number of our rollers, ‘The Roads We Travel Bring Us Together’ by Aboriginal artist, Rebecca Beetson.
About the art
The artwork, The Roads We Travel Bring Us Together, symbolises traditional Aboriginal culture as well as today’s modern Australia.
The circles of dots using the earthy colours of orange, red and yellow were used to represent campsites. In today’s terms, they could be cities and towns. The blue, green and white dots represent water.
And the bridges over water, symbolise the stronger connection between Aboriginal Australians and non-Aboriginal Australians for the benefit of all Australians.
Today, these bridges are represented by the many roads, stemming from big cities, that link smaller towns and communities across our country, while moving through different Aboriginal Nations including Kangaroo, Emu and Snake.
Rebecca’s nation, Wiradjuri, has many stories of Yulubirrngiin Gadi, the Rainbow Serpent, moving across the flat land forming paths, rivers, mountains and even waterholes as he came to rest at night. And sometimes, after the rain has fallen, you can see him across the sky as a rainbow.
Change is inevitable. But change for the better sometimes takes time, focus and hard work. By sharing our stories and culture we will create a better Australia. The roads we travel bring us together.
About the artist
Rebecca Diane Beetson, or Yaingayaingarra, is a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman who was born in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia.
Wiradjuri, being the Grey Kangaroo Nation, is from her Grandfather’s side with the Possum as the family totem. Gamilaroi, being the Emu Nation, is from her Grandmother’s side with the Crow as the family totem. Rebecca’s personal totem is the Emu.
Rebecca was given her Aboriginal name, Yaingayaingarra, while doing her secret women’s business. Yaingayaingarra means ‘to help’, and being the eldest child she always loved to help family and others.
On top of her interest and love for Aboriginal dance and art from an early age, Rebecca has always had an affinity for writing, and was first published in a compiled poem book by Kerry Reed-Gilbert titled, ‘The Strength of Us as Women: Black Women Speak’.
Rebecca now lives in Sydney with her family, where she continues with her passion of painting canvases, murals and teaching art. She even paints large construction equipment and you may have seen her designs on worksites across Australia.
For more information about Rebecca and her work, please search Yaingayaingarra for her website and Facebook page.
The importance of an Indigenous Procurement Policy
Whether it’s through dreamtime stories such as ‘The Rainbow Serpent’, or symbolic works of art like ‘The Roads We Travel Bring Us Together’, the importance of building stronger relationships and connections between Aboriginal Australians and non-Aboriginal Australians is vital to creating a better Australia – for everyone.
We all have our part to play, and it will take some time, but with initiatives like an Indigenous Procurement Policy, and partnerships with companies like Gear Select, we’re able to have a positive social impact across the community and provide Aboriginal Australians and non-Aboriginal Australians a platform for connection.
If you’d like more information on how we can help you reach your Indigenous Procurement Policy targets, and help Aboriginal people have greater access to employment opportunities, visit https://www.conplant.com.au/sales/indigenous-offer/ our contact our team on 1300 166 166.
