Wirribee Leanna Carr with Henry Simmons, 2024. Red cedar clerk’s desk from the Museum Collection of Bathurst District Historical Society. Commissioned by Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. Courtesy: the artist, Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation, and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Wiradjuri Country/Bathurst.

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) presents major exhibition Dhuluny: the war that never ended, curated by Wiradyuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones and Wirribee Aunty Leanna Carr.

The exhibition is part of The Dhuluny Project – a series of events commemorating the 200-year anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law on 14 August 1824 in the Bathurst region and the ensuing frontier violence. Dhuluny means the direct or gospel truth, and the commemoration offers visitors the opportunity to share and understand the true history of our country and celebrate the resilience of the Wiradyuri Nation.

Dhuluny: the war that never ended will feature works by established and emerging Wiradyuri artists including Wirribee Aunty Leanna Carr, Michael Riley, Kevin Gilbert, Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Lucy Williams-Connelly, Karla Dickens, and Jazz Money. The exhibition responds to Martial Law, truth-telling about the Frontier Wars, and the ongoing national significance of the local events of Bathurst.

Dhuluny: the war that never ended, is a quote from local Elder and traditional owner Dinawan Uncle Bill Allen, who wanted this exhibition to not only address the declaration of Martial Law, and the ensuing frontier violence, but the ongoing violence experienced by Aboriginal people. Artists in this exhibition comprise entirely contemporary and historical Wiradyuri artists, along with historical colonial works that depict the region around the time of Martial Law from the State Library of NSW collection. These historical works act like footholds for understanding the context of contemporary artists.