Balarinji

04/09/2026

Today marks 32 years since the launch of Wunala Dreaming, the inaugural aircraft in the Qantas-Balarinji Flying Art Series.

Taking off from Sydney Airport in 1994 to celebrate Qantas’ inaugural flight to Kansai International Airport in Japan, Wunala Dreaming was originally planned as a three-month promotion. However, the deep joy, connection, and pride the artwork inspired kept it soaring through the skies for 17 years.

Created at a time when Aboriginal design was rarely showcased in the mainstream, Wunala Dreaming was a culturally restorative statement by one of the world's most recognisable brands. For Balarinji, it was both a deeply personal and public counter-narrative to the historical policy of cultural erasure that separated Balarinji Co-founder John Moriarty from his family as a four-year-old child of the Stolen Generations.

Seeing Australia herald Aboriginal culture across the country and the globe in such an indelibly visible way was a historic moment. Balarinji is proud of our long-standing partnership with Qantas, which continues to elevate the beauty, strength, and depth of Australia’s Aboriginal narratives on the world stage.

Read more about the Flying Art Series: https://www.balarinji.com.au/projects/qantas-balarinji-flying-art-series/

02/09/2026

The Balarinji team recently had the opportunity to visit the Yitpi Yartapuultiku Aboriginal Cultural Centre near Port Adelaide.

“Visiting Yitpi Yartapuultiku Aboriginal Cultural Centre is a special experience. You can sense the thought and collaboration between the Kaurna community and the designers of Yitpi Yartapuultiku Aboriginal Cultural Centre. The place is a fine example of culture leading form and the designers sensitively wrapping the architecture and landscape around this. It was a privilege to visit.” Kevin Bradley, Balarinji Architect & Design Integration Specialist.

Congratulations to the Kaurna community and architectural and design team on creating a culturally resonant experience✨

📸: Balarinji team members (L-R) Kevin Bradley, Vanessa Moule, Julia Moriarty (Yanyuwa/Marra)

Photo credit: Kevin Bradley

02/09/2026

Attention property professionals!

Balarinji's Managing Director, Ros Moriarty. Business Owner, Author & Social Investor and Strategic Specialist & Indigenous Engagement, Julia Moriarty (Yanyuwa/Marra) will be hosting a special briefing for members of the Property Council of Australia on 'Better Placemaking that Connects with Country'.

The session will cover:
🌱 What it means to connect with Country and how to create a Country-centred approach that influences the design of better places.
💫 Best practice examples that outline how Australia's foundational Aboriginal narrative offers an original frame for innovative design responses.

🗓️ 12pm-1pm on Tuesday 8 September.

The event is free for PCA members.

Details here: https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/event/free-and-exclusive-member-briefing-better-placemaking-that-connects-with-country

28/08/2026

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27/08/2026

Attention transport and urban planning professionals!

Balarinji's Managing Director, Ros Moriarty and Strategic Specialist & Indigenous Engagement, Julia Moriarty (Yanyuwa/Marra) will be joining Krista McMaster, Associate Director at SCT Consulting for a session on 'Country-centred movement' at the National Transport Conference this September in Brisbane.

They will discuss:

🚗 What it means to incorporate Country-centred design principles into movement planning for urban environments.
🛣️ How to tap into knowledge about the best ways to move on Country, along Songlines, waterways and traditional routes that have existed for millennia.

🗓️ You can catch their session at 10am on Thursday 10 September at the Brisbane Convention And Exhibition Centre - Brisbane.

Details here: https://bit.ly/45NUF6f

19/08/2026

Public art that honours service and Country.

Sydney's iconic M7 Light Horse Interchange now tells two sides of Australia's military history. New Indigenous artworks that tell the often-unspoken story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander war service, integrated seamlessly alongside Colin Polwarth’s well known 2007 'Light Horse' installation that honours the horses left behind when Australian servicemen returned from war.

Curated and co-created by Balarinji Studio with Dharug artist Jasmine Seymour, these two new public artworks form part of the M7 Public Art Collection that celebrates the overarching theme, 'To Protect Country is to Belong'.

Military Horses: 20 two-metre sculptural horses pay tribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander soldiers who took horses to battlefields and recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander horsemanship skills honed in Australia’s emerging pastoral industry of the early 1900s.

Emu Plumes: Eight 2.5-metre stainless steel plumes reference Colin Polwarth’s work and note the significance of the emu to Aboriginal ceremony and Country, as well as the commonality and mateship of the iconic slouch hat.

The M7 Public Art Collection was commissioned by NorthWestern Roads Group, and delivered by Transurban and John Holland. The collection was developed using Balarinji's leading Designing with Country methodology in co-design with locally-connected Aboriginal knowledge and language holders, military veterans and a cohort of Dharug-connected artists.

Balarinji has been curating, commissioning and co-creating impactful, enduring works of public art for more than 30 years. Our approach is focused on place-based design intent and storytelling. Our cultural authority is in our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, communities, traditional custodians and knowledge holders.

Read more about the M7 Public Art Collection: https://www.balarinji.com.au/projects/m7-public-art-collection/

12/08/2026

Looking for weekend plans?

The WEST Journal has you covered with a guide to cycling the M12 16km Emu Trail complete with coffee, breakfast and lunch recommendations to fuel you up as you discover the immersive Aboriginal public artworks and interpretive content.

Starting at the tri-colour Eucalypt Canopies, passing over bridges depicting the seasonal Dharug story of the emu and culminating with the landmark 'Great Emu in the Sky' sculpture.

The M12 Public Art Corridor is a Balarinji Studio curated and co-created project with locally-connected Aboriginal artists: Danny Eastwood Aboriginal Art, Jamie Eastwood, Danielle Mate, Jasmine Seymour, Leanne Watson, including Balarinji lead artist on the genesis of the 'Great Emu in the Sky', Tim Moriarty.

https://www.thewestjournal.com.au/post/pedal-to-the-metal-on-the-emu-trail

10/08/2026

We're hiring: Assistant Accountant (Part-time) | Crows Nest, Sydney 🌟

How would you like to bring your financial expertise to Australia’s most highly awarded Indigenous design, strategy, and public art agency?

Balarinji is seeking a detail-oriented Assistant Accountant (24 hours per week) to support our vibrant studio operations. Working closely with our Finance Manager and Project Managers, you will oversee accounts payable, bank reconciliations, month-end processes, and job management software.

What we are looking for:
✔️ 3+ years' experience in an Assistant Accountant or Accounts Admin role
✔️ Proficiency with Xero and project software
✔️ Strong Excel and communication skills
✔️ A collaborative approach to team operations and file management

At Balarinji, our positive team culture is the driver of everything we do. We are a long-term, proactive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employer, reflecting the rich diversity of contemporary Australia.

📍 Location: Crows Nest, Sydney
📅 Hours: Part-time (24 hours per week)

Apply now or view the full position description on our website: https://www.balarinji.com.au/career/assistant-accountant/

06/08/2026

A nation-building symbol of shared identity ✈️

When 'Mendoowoorrji'—the fourth aircraft in the iconic Qantas-Balarinji Flying Art Series—took to the skies in 2013, it carried a unique story of Country, culture, and enduring connection toAustralian identity.

The 'Mendoowoorrji' Boeing 737-800 features the striking artwork of late West Australian artist Paddy Bedford, a Gidja elder from the East Kimberley. The design is inspired by Bedford's painting Medicine Pocket, reflecting the traditional Law, ceremony, and rich landscapes of his mother’s Country.

Translating a two-dimensional art canvas into a three-dimensional aircraft livery required a coming together of culture and engineering. To maintain the integrity of Bedford’s work, Balarinji Studio worked closely with Qantas and Boeing’s engineering team in Seattle. Together, we pushed technical boundaries, utilising pioneering shading and stenciling techniques to replicate the artist’s distinct, textured brushstrokes on a commercial fuselage—a technical first for Boeing at the time.

Beyond the design excellence, the defining standard of 'Mendoowoorrji' was Balarinji’s co-design framework that included Paddy Bedford’s estate, his Gidja family in Warmun and Broome, and the National Gallery of Australia. The result was a fuselage design that interpreted his art with integrity and imagination.
While Mendoowoorrji livery has been retired from the Qantas fleet, it remains a benchmark for how public art curation can embrace authentic cultural narratives.

For more than 40 years, Balarinji has curated, commissioned and co-created impactful, enduring works of public art. Our cultural authority is in our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, communities, Traditional Custodians and knowledge holders.

Image credits: 'Medicine Pocket' by Paddy Bedford, photo by Damian Kelly, images supplied by Qantas.

Read more> https://bit.ly/4w3tqiJ

31/07/2026

Spotted! ✈️✨

The A220 Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa Art Aircraft in Design Institute of Australia’s 'Write Designer' ad, a national awareness campaign encouraging every designer to stand up, be counted, and help make Australia’s design workforce visible.

Designed by Balarinji Studio for Qantas, Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa is a powerful example of Australian design excellence that inspires positive social change and celebrates identity and belonging.

Get Ready to Write DESIGNER

With the Write DESIGNER campaign in full swing, we’re encouraging every designer in Australia to prepare for Census Night on Tuesday 11 August. Unlike a survey, there is no box to tick for “Designer” on the Census form. Instead, you’ll be asked, “What is the person’s occupation?” and “What are the main tasks or duties that the person usually performs?” Taking a few minutes to prepare your answers now will help ensure you’re accurately counted.

When answering the occupation question, identify yourself by your specific design profession recognised within the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Minor Group 242 Design Professionals. Then begin your task description with “Designing…” and explain what you design. This helps the Australian Bureau of Statistics accurately classify your occupation.

The information collected on Census Night will shape future government policy and inform decisions about education, skills development and industry investment for years to come. An accurate picture of Australia’s design profession begins when every designer takes a few minutes to prepare.

Visit the link in our bio for the Write DESIGNER campaign page to find your occupation in Minor Group 242 Design Professionals and learn how to write DESIGNER in your Census form.



Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (architecture and interior design studio) Bennelong Restaurant interior design, Sydney Opera House, 2015. Image courtesy Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Photo: © Brett Stevens. Tonkin Zulaikha Greer