Celebrating Six Years of Storytelling: Drawing Us Together Results
Carnes Hill Marketplace is on Darug Country. We pay our respect to the Traditional Owners, their Elders past and present, and honour their enduring care and custodianship of these lands.
The Drawing Us Together initiative—now in its sixth year—is a vibrant celebration of Indigenous culture, brought to life through a children’s storybook written by First Nations authors and illustrated by local primary school students.
In honour of NAIDOC Week 2025, we proudly partnered with 13 authors from across the country, each sharing unique and inspiring stories that reflected this year’s theme: The Next Generation; Strength, Vision, and Legacy.
Students from our local primary schools submitted artwork to be featured in the storybook. From an impressive pool of entries, 78 illustrations were selected as finalists. During the July school holidays, Carnes Hill Marketplace hosted an in-centre exhibition showcasing these finalists, inviting the community to vote for their favourite illustrations.
Thanks to your incredible support, the final artworks were chosen—and the storybook is now complete.
Winning Illustrations
Front Cover – Matthew Mcnami, Carnes Hill Marketplace School Holidays
Page 1 – Marina Majadire
Page 2 – Lana Hana Al-Aswad, Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School
Page 3 – Amelia Randal, Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School
Page 4 – Josephine Carter, Austral Public School
Page 5 – Georgia Grove, Austral Public School
Page 6 – Ariyah, Leppington Public School
Page 7 – Tylaria, Leppington Public School
Page 8 – Mirika, Leppington Public School
Page 9 – Eden, Hoxton Park Public School
Page 10 – Mina Minhaj, Hoxton Park Public School
Page 11 – Eden, Hoxton Park Public School
Page 12 – Sonita Tep, Mount Pritchard East Public School
Page 13 - Harlem Huia, Mount Pritchard East Public School
Discover Past Editions
Explore the powerful stories and voices from previous years:
– 2024 Edition – Five Hearts, One Flame
– 2023 Edition – Gami Winda and Dyindi Dyndi by Bianca Stawiarski
– 2022 Edition – Being a Big Brother by Alton Walley
– 2021 Edition – Dancing for Country by Maree Yoelu (McCarthy)
– 2020 Edition – Pindan Dream Princess by Sylvia Lockyer
