Moort Bidi II

This piece depicts a track where Aboriginal people used to camp and still did into the 1940’s (after the Great Depression of the 1930’s) and was known as a “Sweet place to stay.” The back of the reserve was a sacred place and is known to the local Yued Aboriginal people to be the place where the last corroboree was held in this area, possibly in the 1940’s. There was a water tank there where the black trackers used to camp and water their horses when they were no longer working at the Moore River Native Settlement, Mogumber. The trackers used to assist the Moora police. Ruby Ryder’s father was a tracker and also a champion boxer who lived with his family on the Old Reserve (opposite and at the site where the present Speedway track is located).
It became known to the town folk as Candy’s Bush Track from when the Candy family came to live nearby in the 1950’s. The eleven Candy’s children made tracks through the bush to ride their push bikes – hence ‘Candy’s Bush Track’. Many people have fond memories of enjoying spending time there camp- ing and playing as children. In 1947 the Moora Road Board (now the Shire of Moora) sub-divided an area facing Gardiner St into housing blocks; a few were bought but not built on. This area, plus the Crown land behind is what became known as Candy’s Bush Track.

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Jessica is recognised by the Yamatji Malpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC).
She is also a Member of Indigenous Art Code proudly protecting artists and buyer from cultural appropriation. Jessica is wanting to create contemporary Aboriginal art as a way to create awareness of First Nations people and work towards healing and closing the gap. ❤️💛🖤

Jessica is a proud Noongar living on Yued land who first started painting after feeling an urge to learn more about her Aboriginal culture after moving back to her home town of Moora, Western Australia with her partner and 2 children after 12 years of living in Perth.

Upon having weekly visits with her nana and wanting to know more about her culture and background, she felt inspired to create art as a way of feeling connected to her culture which has mostly been lost due to her great grandfather being part of the stolen generation, being assimilated into a white society and forced to reject his Aboriginal culture.

Enjoy her beautiful art!