Nova PerisPrint Page

The statue commemorates Nova Peris, the first indigenous Australian to win an Olympic Gold Medal and the first indigenous woman to be elected to Federal Parliament. 

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.
Federation Square Events, 14 July 2021.

Location

Address:	Federation Square, Melbourne, 3000
State:	VIC
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -37.817811 Long: 144.968871 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Statue
Monument Theme:	People
Sub-Theme:	Indigenous
Artist:	Gillie & Marc (sculptors), Jandamarra Cadd (artist collaborator)

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:	Wednesday 14th July, 2021

Source: MA