Nova Peris statue unveiling

On July 14, 2021, a bronze statue of Nova Peris OAM OLY was unveiled at Fed Square. Created by internationally-renowned artists Gillie and Marc in collaboration with Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendent and artist Jandamarra Cadd, the statue is part of their Statues For Equality initiative, which aims to redress the lack of gender and racial diversity in our public statues.

Nova Peris (Gidja, Yawaru and Iwaitja) was the first Indigenous Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, when she won gold as part of the Australian women’s hockey team (the Hockeyroos) at the 1996 Olympics Games. She then switched sports, winning two more gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games as a sprinter, and then went on to represent Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Peris was elected to the Senate as part of the Australian Labor Party in 2013, becoming the first Indigenous woman to be elected to federal parliament.

Nova Peris was awarded the Order of Australia in 1997 and as of 2020 is an official ambassador for the Australian Aboriginal Education Foundation, which provides scholarships for Indigenous students.

This video features an interview with Nova Peris at the historic statue unveiling ceremony, where Nova explains how the collaboration with international artists Gillie and Marc and Jandamarra Cadd came about, what the statue symbolises to her and – amongst all her incredible achievements across sport, politics and as an activist – what she’s most proud of.

Bronze statue of Nova Peris OAM OLY is unveiled at Fed Square

Check out this video to see the moment the historic statue was unveiled and an interview with Nova Peris where she talks about the significance of the statue and its totems.

Watch the full speeches at the official unveiling ceremony

Hear from all the speakers at the official unveiling ceremony, including Nova’s children Destiny and Jack, artists Gillie and Marc, Olympic gold medal-winner Steve Hooker and former Hockeyroos teammate Lisa Curruthers.