EOI – Louisa Briggs Sculpture Commission
Looking Through & Looking Beyond: Celebrating the legacy of Louisa
The City of Port Phillip is excited to announce this expression of interest (EOI) process. We are commissioning an artist or artist team to create a permanent public sculpture of Louisa Briggs. This commission, funded by the Victorian Women’s Public Art (VWPA) Program, will become a landmark on the St Kilda/Elwood foreshore.
The project is a partnership with the Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council, led by N'arwee’t Carolyn Briggs, a direct descendant of Louisa Briggs. It will celebrate her significant contributions to the Indigenous community and their history. The sculpture will serve as a powerful symbol of resilience, cultural heritage, and the ongoing fight for social justice. It will promote gender equality and raise the profile of women in public spaces.
Source: Yalukit Willam, The River People of Port Phillip: Yalukit Willam, The River People of Port Phillip by The City of Port Phillip - Issuu p.20
About Louisa Briggs
Louisa Briggs was born in 1836, on the country of the Yallukit Willam people of the Boowurrung. As a young girl she was abducted by sealers from Port Phillip Bay. Together with her female relatives, she was held captive on the remote islands to the north-east of Tasmania. After surviving years of forced labour as a seal hunter, she returned to her country with her husband, John Briggs. The couple with their ten children, worked on stations in Victoria’s central highland goldfields before settling at Coranderrk Aboriginal Station.
On Coranderrk Louisa reunited with other families from the Kulin Nation. She acted as nurse and midwife and in 1876 she was appointed matron, the first Aboriginal to replace a European on salaried staff. By ability, position and hereditary right she actively fought for the rights of her family and kin. Louisa’s spirit of independence gave her the strength to resist the inhumane treatment of the colonial authorities and was repeatedly punished for her activism.
In 1886 under ‘half caste’ Legislation Act, Louisa Briggs and her family were exiled from Coranderrk and sought refuge at Maloga & Cummeragunga Aboriginal Reserve on the NSW side of the Murray River.
Louisa died at Cummeragunga Aboriginal Reserve on September 6th, 1925.
Louisa’s spirit survives through the oral history and songs passed down through to her great grandchildren. Her strength of character, pride and the spirit of activism is still evident in the work of her many descendants.
Written by N’arwee't Professor Carolyn Briggs AM (Great Granddaughter)
Artist brief
The artwork intends to commemorate and celebrate Louisa Briggs, known for her tireless advocacy for the rights of her people and her contributions to the social and cultural fabric of Victoria. Her life is a testament to the strength and perseverance of Indigenous women. The sculpture created will symbolise Louisa Briggs’s enduring legacy.
The sculpture will also honour the contributions of Aboriginal women to Victoria’s history. It will provide a permanent and visible acknowledgment of their role in shaping the state's social and cultural landscape. It will challenge the historical underrepresentation of women, especially Indigenous women, in public art. Through this project, the City of Port Phillip and the Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council aim to foster greater recognition and appreciation of the diverse histories that make up the heritage of Victoria.
Under the guidance of N'Arwee’t Carolyn Briggs, the Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council will ensure that the artwork follows cultural protocols and accurately reflects the heritage and values of the First Peoples community. The Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council will give essential advice on the appropriate symbols, narratives, and materials to be used in the artwork, ensuring that the project adheres to cultural protocols and sensitivities.
The Victorian Women's Public Art Program aims to address the underrepresentation of women and their achievements through enduring public artworks. Women are systematically underrepresented in public life, with their achievements and contributions historically overlooked. This is why ‘Our Equal State’, the Victorian Government’s gender equality strategy, prioritises elevating women’s achievements and supporting women artists through the Victorian Women’s Public Art Program.
Key dates
Expressions of interest will close Monday 5 May 2025.
A shortlisting process will follow. Shortlisted artists will be invited to develop their concept and present it to N’arwee’t Carolyn Briggs in an interview.
By July 2025, the successful artist or artist team will be notified.
Note dates are subject to change.
For full details, including how to submit your proposal, download the Artist Brief document.
Please contact the Art Activation Officer on 03 9209 6164 or 0482 127 030 if you have any questions.