Kwernl Story Doll (yorga/female) by Marcelle Riley

"My grandmother's house used to be near bush and as children we played there all the time. I loved the sound of the Sheoak tree when the wind blew. My old people called it their Message Tree." - Marcelle Riley, Artist

The making of Nyoongar Dolls goes back to the improvised making of, and play with, dolls that Elders recall from the time they spent living on reserves and on country.

Materials used to make the dolls were as eclectic as the dolls themselves: bush nuts, pegs, and sauce bottles were among the items refashioned to fuel the imagination and joy of Nyoongar children.