A new approach to Indigenous collections
The Donald Thomson Collection consists of a large collection of socio-cultural material from Australian Aboriginal people across Cape York, Arnhem Land, the Central and Gibson Desert, and into Papua and the Solomon Islands. The collection is part of a future acquisitions strategy by the University of Melbourne. The collection is titled: ‘Place for Indigenous Art and Culture’ and is an Indigenous-led research and teaching facility designed with the needs and comfort of Aboriginal people as primary considerations.
The brand identity represents a meeting place with four concentric circles gathering together. At the heart of the design, the smaller centre circle represents the Place for Indigenous Art and Culture at the University of Melbourne. The outer three circular rings represent the categories of the collections – art, artefacts and documented images and audio. The pathways, patterns and colours reflect upon the varied Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and cultures, as well as country, deserts and waters.