Ivera Harrison proudly wears the First Nations school shirt that she designed, alongside Twin Rivers teacher and Koori co-ordinator Amy Coshan, and Moama Bowling Club sales and marketing manager George Santos.
Photo by
Louie Cina
It’s not often that a school uniform is loved, but spend just five minutes at Twin Rivers Specialist School, and you’ll see countless people proudly showing off the school’s latest polo shirt, designed by young Yorta Yorta artist Ivera Harrison.
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Despite being just fifteen, this is far from Ivera’s first big artistic project.
The Year 10 student has already worked on numerous pieces displayed around the school through her involvement in the Galnyatj School Program, won the Young Picasso Award presented by the Rotary Club of Shepparton South, and has sold her artworks to buyers overseas.
“(Doing art) makes me feel calm,” Ivera said.
“My dad did Aboriginal dot art, and I was like, why not just carry on my dad’s legacy?”
Ivera’s shirt features a Bayadherra (long-necked turtle) which is a totem for the Yorta Yorta people alongside symbols representing meeting places and Dhungala (the Murray River).
Ivera with the first draft of her design.
Photo by
Louie Cina
Each of the school’s students have received a shirt, with the project funded by Moama Bowling Club.
The school’s staff were given the option to buy the shirts, and many of them jumped at the chance, with the staff room awash with Ivera’s design.
Moama Bowling Club sales and marketing manager George Santos said that funding this project was an easy decision.
“We’ve funded so many projects, and one thing they have in common is that they add value to Echuca-Moama,” Mr Santos said.
“(The school) approached us a number of months ago to see if we’d be willing to support this particular project, and we thought, absolutely, this is the sort of thing that we look for to add value to the community, especially this particular community.
“The symbols and all the totems, they mean something specific to the area, and I think the designer is obviously very artistic in coming up with this concept and bringing it to life.
“It’s pretty magic, and I’m just so happy to be a part of this project.”
Ivera’s design is already popular with students and staff alike.
Photo by
Louie Cina
Ivera was supported throughout the design process by TRSS teacher and Koori Co-ordinator Amy Coshan.
Ms Coshan, aware of Ivera’s talent, encouraged her to undertake the project before she graduated.
“We started this project when (Ivera) was 14,” Ms Coshan said.
“It’s been really impressive to watch how mature she’s been about it.
“She’s really thought about the design, how to link it in between her own personal family culture, the local culture, local First Nations culture, and then linking it into our school as well.”
Just a day after the shirts were unveiled, Ms Coshan is already noticing the impact they’re having.
“It’s having a huge effect and generating huge discussion,” she said.
“Firstly around Ivera designing it and as a young person and what that could look like for her future from a staff point of view.
“Then the staff just in awe of how much effort she’s put in and how the school’s gone about the process to make sure that she as the artist has been respected throughout the process.
“Then just watching the kids when they first got the t-shirts was really exciting.
“As a Koori co-ordinator, I’m always looking for opportunities to integrate First Nations culture into our school culture and this is just another way where we can showcase ‒ to the whole community, not just our school ‒ the ways that we’re doing that within our school grounds.”
