2025 GAAMA Highly Commended

Minister for Education and the Arts, Hon John-Paul Langbroek MP, presenting Tegan Burns, Karen Rylance, Aunty Evelyn Parkin and Elisabeth Gondwe with their Highly Commended presentation for North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah. Photograph by Sarah Marshall, Jiriki Photography, courtesy of Museums & Galleries Queensland. 

North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah

Ngali Dullan – We Remain

The North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah has been awarded Highly Commended at the 2025 Gallery and Museum Achievement Awards (GAMAA), recognised in the category of Projects: Organisations with 1–6 FTE Paid Staff for the museum’s permanent exhibition, Ngali Dullan – We Remain.

Presented by Museums & Galleries Queensland at a special awards ceremony hosted by Museum of Brisbane, the honour highlights the growing impact of the museum’s collaborative work with Quandamooka community members, artists, and cultural leaders.

Since opening in June 2024, Ngali Dullan – We Remain has transformed the museum entry into an immersive space that centres Quandamooka people, culture, and Country. The exhibition features interpretive mapping by acclaimed Quandamooka artist Megan Cope alongside commissioned works by local artists and significant cultural objects that speak to continuity, resilience, and living identity.

The judging panel praised the museum’s leadership, resourcefulness, and collaborative spirit, noting the exhibition’s successful integration of First Nations storytelling, history, and art.

Executive Director of Museums & Galleries Queensland, Rebekah Butler, said:

“We heartily congratulate the North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah for their culturally powerful exhibition, Ngali Dullan. This initiative exemplifies the strength of collaboration and cultural respect, demonstrating what can be achieved when First Nations voices lead the way.”

For the museum, the recognition is more than an award. It reflects a continued commitment to truth-telling, respectful partnership, and ensuring Quandamooka voices are central to the stories shared on Minjerribah.

Ngali Dullan – We Remain remains on permanent display at the North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah.

MAGAQ Media Release

MR_HIGHLY-COMMENDED_North-Stradbroke-Island-Museum-on-Minjerribah-Proj-1-6.pdf

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