182 years in the making: First portrait of an Aboriginal person on walls in City Council chambers

Inspirational Aunty Shirley Peisley is still making history. A photograph of her is now on display in Adelaide City Council’s chambers in a first that has been a long time coming.

The gentle but powerful presence of Aunty Shirley Peisley has been immortalised in the first portrait of an Aboriginal person on display in the chambers in Adelaide City Council’s 182-year history.

The photograph, by Aboriginal multimedia artist Dr Ali Gumillya Baker, was commissioned by council as part of its Women in the Chamber project to honour inspirational South Australian women.

Aunty Shirley Peisley AM with Governor Frances Adamson AC, Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith, Aunty Irene Allan and Aunty Yvonne Agius. Picture: Supplied

Born in 1941, Ngarrindjeri/Boandik elder Aunty Shirley has spent her lifetime campaigning for Aboriginal rights and reconciliation.

Instrumental in the successful campaign for full Indigenous citizenship, decided in an overwhelming referendum majority in 1967, she was co-chair of the inaugural City of Adelaide Reconciliation Committee from 2002 to 2005.

In 2000 she received an Order of Australia Medal for services to the Aboriginal community in the areas of culture, heritage, legal, health, welfare, library services, the church, and reconciliation.

Aunty Shirley Peisley with former senator Reg Bishop in the 1960s.

Aunty Shirley Peisley in 2012.

While Aunty Shirley now has dementia, her son Damien Peisley said she was “over the moon” when she was told her Dr Gumillya Baker would be photographing her.

Aunty Shirley’s family helped choose the portrait, which Mr Peisley said was “amazing and beautiful”.

“It represents Mum and who she is,” he said.

Portrait of Aunty Shirley by artist Dr Ali Gumillya Baker. Picture: Supplied

Aunty Shirley Peisley AM with her portrait by artist Dr Ali Gumillya Baker that is now on display in Adelaide Town Hall. Picture: Supplied

Mr Peisley said it was significant that the portrait had been unveiled in the lead-up to the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.

While Aunty Shirley’s dementia will prevent her from voting, she expressed enthusiasm when it was announced last year.

Both Mr Peisley and Dr Gumillya Baker agreed a portrait of an Aboriginal person in Adelaide City Council chambers had been a long time coming.

“Visibility of our leaders and communities in institutions of culture and governance is really important particularly at this time,” Dr Gumillya Baker said, adding: “Growing up I didn’t see enough representation.”

Aunty Shirley Peisley in 2012.

Dr Gumillya Baker said she was honoured to photograph Aunty Shirley, whom she has known for many years.

“Aunty Shirley to me is a diplomat who worked with the non-Indigenous community for a long time making change,” she said.

She was also a community leader working with other Aboriginal woman, who together were “very gentle but also powerful and fierce” in what they were able to achieve collectively.

Recognising that portraits in formal places were embedded with symbolism, Dr Gumillya Baker photographed Aunty Shirley holding a bunch of red kangaroo paw flowers to honour Tarndanyangga, the place of the red kangaroo.

The feather flowers in her hair were like those Aunty Shirley remembered elder women in her community making when she was growing up, while the mosaic of medicinal and ceremonial plants showed her to be on Kaurna country.