Secrets of Dawn: Dolly Peg Making

The Secrets of Dawn exhibition features an interactive collective artwork comprising of Dolly Pegs created by Coota Girls Survivors and descendants as a representation of the Coota Girls journey of forcible removal, institutionalisation and domestic slavery.

Coota Girls Survivors used the limited resources they had to create toys and games such as dolls out of wooden pegs, creating moments of joy, play and sisterhood despite their circumstances.

The wooden peg doll is also a visual reminder of the domestic labour that Coota Girls Survivors were trained to do as slaves in wealthy non-First Nations households.

The aim of this collective artwork is to highlight the stark contrast of the images portrayed in 'Dawn Magazine' of the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls as a place of happiness and opportunity, compared with the reality of neglect and domestic slavery.

Visitors to Secrets of Dawn are invited to contribute to this evolving collective artwork by creating a Dolly Peg in honour of the Coota Girls Survivors.

Drop in during Gallery opening hours to create your Dolly Peg.