All roads lead to Bilo – for the WOW factor
Women of the World Australia and Banana Shire Council are behind an inspiring exhibition featuring women and girls from across the state – and it’s on now in Biloela.
We all know the inspiring, heartbreaking and ultimately heartwarming story of Pria and Nades Nadesalingam and their two young daughters. Their ordeal – being wrenched away from Biloela, a town that welcomed them with open arms – had a happy ending when they were finally allowed to settle back to the Central Queensland town they loved so much.
This Tamil asylum-seeker family had been locked up at a mostly empty 400-bed facility under 24-hour surveillance, at a cost of $6.7m to Australian taxpayers. Just for some political point scoring.
Their story is being told on the stage later this year when Belloo Creative’s play Back to Bilo, written by Katherine Lyall-Watson, is staged at Queensland Theatre’s Bille Brown Theatre. Serendipitously, Bille Brown just happened to be from Biloela.
It’s a town the whole country now knows about and right now you can see some photos of Pria Nadesalingam in the exhibition In Her Name, which is on at the Banana Shire Regional Gallery. She has been photographed by talented rural photographer Amy Holcombe.
Nadesalingam’s story is just one of a number of inspiring stories celebrating the lives of Queensland women and girls, presented by WOW – Women of the World Australia, in partnership with the Banana Shire Council.
Women might not be highly visible in many formal positions of power but, in fact, they exercise extraordinary leadership in a myriad of ways and places throughout our state, particularly in regional Queensland. In Her Name pays tribute to women and girls from various locations where Women of the World Festivals (WOW) and events have been held over the past four years. This includes Charleville, Cairns, Logan, Brisbane, Longreach and here in Biloela.
Originally curated by Jody Haines, the exhibition showcases these stories of women from across Queensland. The exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to engage with the powerful images and narratives of more than 50 extraordinary women and girls, including 10 local women from Biloela (including Pria Nadesalingam), along with their stories.
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Each woman featured has been identified by her community for their leadership or huge personal contribution they have made. These stories highlight the often-unseen leadership roles women occupy and the profound influence they have in shaping their communities.
Photography is by Cristina Bevilacqua, Tatenda Dhobha, Amy Holcombe, Katrina Lehmann, Mana Salsali and Catrina Stevens. Supported by the Queensland Government, the exhibition will go to Gladstone following a major WOW Australia Gladstone event in October, and will feature 10 portraits of women from that region. But right now all roads lead to Bilo.
In Her Name: Celebrating the Lives of Queensland’s Women and Girls continues at Banana Shire Regional Art Gallery, Biloela, until March 28, banana.qld.gov.au