Wiradjuri artist Nyree Reynolds transformed her art into activism, using her paintings to honour the Stolen Generations & defend sacred Country. Her leadership in protecting the Belubula (Bilabula) River through a landmark Section 10 heritage order reshaped Australia’s approach to Aboriginal heritage protection & cultural law reform.
Introduction
The story of Nyree (Ngari) Reynolds is one of the quiet power, endurance & deep connection to Country. A Wiradjuri woman born in Wollongong in 1948, she has lived through an Australia that often silenced First Nations voices yet through her art, her words & her unyielding love for the land, she found a way to make those voices echo across generations.
Reynolds isn’t just an artist; she’s a truth teller, cultural guardian & activist who transformed her paintings into tools of education & resistance. Her journey from painting the pain of the Stolen Generations to challenging a billion dollar mining project represents how creativity & courage can protect both heritage & environment.
When she stood up to defend the Belubula River (Bilabula) against a tailings dam proposed by Regis Resources, she did more than safeguard water & she revived a conversation about cultural responsibility, environmental justice & what reconciliation really means. Her success forced Australia to reckon with its moral duty toward sacred land, even when money & politics pressed against it.
Through every challenge illness, criticism & systemic resistance Reynolds stood firm, guided by ancestors & a belief that “all water is sacred.” Her life & work show that art is not decoration; it’s declaration. This is the story of Nyree Reynolds, the woman who painted truth & protected Country.
Early Life & Wiradjuri Roots
Born in Wollongong, New South Wales, in 1948, Nyree Reynolds traces her lineage to a Wiradjuri woman born in the 1820s, describing herself as a “very light-skinned descendant” of that ancestor. Her dual connection to the Illawarra coast, where she was born & the Central West region of NSW, where she now lives, has profoundly shaped her identity.
These two landscapes ocean & inland are reflected in her art. The sands of Wollongong speak to her beginnings, while the ochre of the Central West mirrors the strength of Wiradjuri Country. She grew up hearing stories that connected spirit, songlines & the natural world, forming a foundation that would later become the emotional heart of her work.
Over time, her life became a bridge between generations between the past that endured colonisation & a future that seeks to reclaim dignity through truth telling.
The Artistic Journey of Nyree Reynolds
As a Wiradjuri artist and educator, Reynolds developed the style that intertwines storytelling with social commentary. Her paintings often depict children from the Stolen Generations blending into the landscape, symbolising their forced removal from Country & identity.
Using red ochre sourced from the Mudgee district and sand from the Illawarra region, she creates earthy textures that literally bind her work to the land. The ochre represents the enduring spirit of Wiradjuri Country, while the sand pays tribute to her birthplace.
“As an Aboriginal woman of the Wiradjuri Nation, I like to tell stories through my paintings,” she once explained.
Her art isn’t decorative but documentary a canvas based record of survival & memory. Each painting is a visual act of resistance, ensuring that the erased stories of Aboriginal children, families & communities are seen, felt & remembered.
She has also worked as an art tutor, teaching others to channel emotion & ancestry into creativity. Her achievements include winning the NSW Parliamentary Art Prize & producing billboard artworks along the Mid-Western Highway large scale tributes to the spirit of Wiradjuri Country & its people.
The 2000 Walk for Reconciliation-A Defining Moment
On 28 May 2000, more than 250,000 Australians walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in one of the most powerful public gestures of unity in modern history. Among them was Nyree Reynolds. For her, the Walk for Reconciliation was more than symbolic; it was transformative.
Above the crowd, a plane wrote one word in the sky “SORRY.” That image stayed with her forever.
“I didn’t have my camera, but my mind became my camera, and that vision will never be lost.”
This experience reignited her artistic purpose. The walk reminded her that reconciliation was not just about politics but about truth and truth, she believed, could be painted.
“Sorry” (2006)-Painting the Pain and Healing
Six years after that walk, Reynolds painted her most recognisable work — Sorry (2006). Created with acrylic, red ochre & sand on canvas, it captured the complex emotions surrounding the reconciliation movement & the ongoing trauma of the Stolen Generations.
The painting’s earthy tones & symbolic imagery became a conversation between past and present. In 2020, the Australian Museum digitally collected Sorry, preserving it as part of the nation’s artistic and cultural record.
For Reynolds, art was both healing and political. It was her way of ensuring that stories of displacement, resilience, and identity remained part of Australia’s conscience.
The 2008 National Apology-Hope & Hard Truths
When Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the National Apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008, it was a historic & emotional moment. For Nyree Reynolds, it was deeply personal.
She welcomed the acknowledgment but warned that words must lead to change.
“Sorry means that you don’t do it again,” she said plainly.
Despite the promise of progress, the reality was confronting-by 2016–17, 17,664 First Nations children were in out-of-home care-double the number before the apology. To Reynolds, that statistic proved that reconciliation was unfinished business. Her art continued to reflect the gap between political gestures & lived experiences.
Fighting for the Aboriginal Flag
In 2012, Nyree Reynolds was photographed campaigning for the Aboriginal flag to fly permanently in Blayney, central NSW. It was a simple but powerful act of pride to see the flag, once banned, representing her people in everyday spaces.
More than a decade later, in 2023, when the Aboriginal flag finally became free for public use, Reynolds said she was “over the moon.” For her, it wasn’t just a win for symbolism but a reminder that persistence pays off a theme that would soon define the next chapter of her life.
Health Challenges & Ongoing Strength
In 2020, Reynolds faced a life-changing diagnosis: mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. She also suffered from vocal dysphoria, which paralysed her vocal cords.
But even illness couldn’t quiet her. She continued to speak & paint for Country. When she appeared before the NSW Independent Planning Commission during hearings about the McPhillamys Gold Project, she spoke through pain and breathlessness.
“This mine freaks me out,” she said. “To kill the Belubula by putting cement in the springs was unthinkable.”
Her voice may have weakened, but her conviction grew stronger.
The Section 10 Application-Protecting the Belubula (Bilabula) River
In 2021, after pleas from her community, Nyree Reynolds lodged a Section 10 application under the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act (ATSHIP) to protect the headwaters and 35 natural springs of the Belubula (Bilabula) River near Blayney.
Backed by the Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation (WTOCWAC), she argued that the proposed Regis Resources tailings dam would desecrate sacred land and threaten the river that sustained generations.
“It’s only a tiny river, but it’s our river,” she said. “The ancestors would be grateful to see it saved.”
The application underwent a three-year review a long and exhausting process for Reynolds, who continued to advocate even as her health declined.
2024-The Belubula River Victory
On 13 August 2024, Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek issued a partial Section 10 declaration, officially announced on 16 August 2024. The decision protected the headwaters, springs, and river from mining interference, effectively blocking the tailings dam.
Plibersek said:
“Protecting cultural heritage and development are not mutually exclusive. We can have both.”
The ruling forced Regis Resources to write off $192 million, halt trading on the ASX, and reconsider its $1 billion project. The mine would have produced 2 million ounces of gold, processed 60 million tonnes of ore, created 580 construction and 290 operational jobs, and generated $30 million in council revenue — but it was no longer viable.
For Reynolds, the decision was spiritual, not economic.
“Those waters are sacred — all water is sacred,” she said. “I just hope our ancestors are proud of us.”
Backlash & Political Division
While the Wiradjuri community celebrated, others were outraged. Prominent Indigenous and political figures Roy Ah-See, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, and Warren Mundine criticised the decision, calling it a “mockery of culture” and “a disgrace.”
They argued that the ruling cost Indigenous Australians economic opportunity. Local leaders said the project would have lifted the region’s economy & created hundreds of jobs. The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO), which supported Reynolds’ legal efforts, was accused by opponents of “weaponising” Section 10 heritage laws.
Despite the controversy, Reynolds stood by her actions. To her, it was not about politics it was about protecting a sacred songline that linked generations of Wiradjuri people.
National Impact & Heritage Reform
The Belubula River decision reignited a national conversation about heritage laws, environmental justice, and cultural authority. Mining bodies warned of rising sovereign risk, saying federal ministers could now derail major projects even after full state approvals.
Yet for many, the decision represented justice after decades of neglect — a corrective moment following the destruction of Juukan Gorge in 2020.
Plibersek acknowledged the need for clearer laws, announcing plans for reforms that would define “who speaks for Country” & embed free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) principles.
“Our goal is to remove uncertainty & make it clear who represents Country,” she said.
So far, only Western Australia has implemented partial reforms, leaving much of Australia reliant on outdated state legislation.
The case also resonated politically after the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, prompting the government to act on heritage protection to restore public confidence in its commitment to Indigenous Australians.
Philosophy & Legacy of Nyree Reynolds
Through her paintings, words, and courage, Nyree Reynolds has become a symbol of resistance and renewal. Her philosophy is grounded in ancestral wisdom:
“Stay on our songline, talk straight, and tell the truth.”
Her story demonstrates that the defence of Country is inseparable from identity. Art, activism, and heritage converge in her life’s work — proving that one person, rooted in culture and guided by ancestors, can move the nation toward justice.
Reynolds’ impact now stretches beyond art galleries and museums. She represents every First Nations person who has fought to protect land, water, and culture. Her legacy will endure in every young Wiradjuri artist who paints with purpose, and in every river that flows unspoiled because someone cared enough to say no.
“All water is sacred,” she reminds us — a truth that runs like a songline through her art, her activism, and her life.
FAQs
Who is Nyree Reynolds?
Nyree (Ngari) Reynolds is a Wiradjuri artist and elder from New South Wales known for her storytelling through art and her successful campaign to protect the Belubula River from mining damage.
What is Nyree Reynolds known for?
She is celebrated for her painting Sorry (2006), her advocacy for the Stolen Generations, and her leadership in lodging a Section 10 heritage protection order that stopped a $1 billion goldmine project.
What is the significance of the Belubula River (Bilabula)?
The river holds spiritual and cultural significance for the Wiradjuri people, featuring in ancient songlines and initiation traditions. Reynolds’ activism protected its sacred headwaters and springs.
Why was the McPhillamys Gold Project controversial?
Although it promised jobs and economic growth, the project’s tailings dam threatened sacred Wiradjuri land. Reynolds’ Section 10 application led to its cancellation in 2024.
What is Nyree Reynolds’ lasting impact?
She redefined how Australia views Indigenous heritage, proving that art and activism can influence law and protect sacred land. Her legacy continues through ongoing cultural preservation efforts.
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