Mount Isa Police have launched a new plaque at the station recognising traditional custodians of the land which was opened in tandem with the launch of an important artwork.
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Mount Isa is only the third station in Queensland to get the plaque and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart took time out of a two-day police management meeting in Mount Isa to unveil the plaque with officer in charge Senior Sgt Renee Hanrahan.
Commissioner Stewart said he was there to unveil the plaque and also launch the Look to the Stars artwork which was touring the state and which he said was a reminder of their respect for Indigenous Australians.
The artwork uses stars as symbols and stories to reflect the diversity of those who tell those stories.
“In May of this year I launched Look to the Stars artwork in Brisbane for the first time and it was created with the assistance of our Indigenous specialist staff who guided its creation,” Commissioner Stewart said.
“This wasn’t something that Indigenous artists just decided to go out and paint, this was something we worked very hard on for over 18 months.”
Commissioner Stewart said the accompanying booklet for the wonderful theme for the artwork provided an insight into the stories within the stories of the artwork.
“Even though the artwork is designed as a contemporary piece we hope it will be use for generations to come to build a stronger more meaningful relationship based on mutual trust and respect and the message depicted in the artwork is just as true for other cultures as it is for Indigenous Australia,” he said.
Commissioner Stewart acknowledged police needed to work harder to build stronger relationships with these groups.
Those relationships must be built on respect and trust and reflect our core values as a modern police service,” he said.
As well as acknowledging traditional custodians, the plaque acknowledges elders past, present and future and also acknowledges the “significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards the protection and safety of all people in this great country we live in and share”.