INVESTORS AND MEDIA 
In the news
Australian flora and fauna and traditional Aboriginal paintings provided inspiration for a young Laverton artist when designing a shirt for this year's NAIDOC celebrations.
Mining giant Gold Fields this year organised a competition within the Laverton School community, with the winning design to be featured on the company's 2023 NAIDOC Week shirt.
Noongar-Wongai student Shameka Dickie, 15, won the competition and worked alongside Perth-based Aboriginal artist and graphic designer Jilalga Murray.
The shirts have been worn by Gold Fields staff and Laverton School staff and students as part of their uniform since NAIDOC Week in July.
Shameka said her design incorporated significant symbols, native animals and bush foods to represent the 2023 NAIDOC Week theme For Our Elders.
"It is a blend of the ocean and the land, with the animals and the Aboriginal people represented by the footprints," she said.
"These symbols acknowledge hunting and gathering which (have been) passed on by elders who are our first teachers in life.
"The turtle represents the creeks, the footprints are walking on the land and the honey ants (represent) hunting."
The design also features kangaroo tracks, bush foods, waterholes and boomerangs.
Shameka told the Kalgoorlie Miner she enjoyed working with Murray to refine her design and transfer it on to the shirt.
"We went to Perth, we picked out the fabrics and the colour and talked about adding more animals into it," she said.
"We added the emu and eggs and she showed me how to (create) patterns."
She said the experience had inspired her to explore career pathways in creative industries after her high school education.
Shameka said she was proud to see her design being worn by Laverton School staff and her fellow students.
"I feel proud and happy that other people wear my shirt," she said.
Laverton School principal Wendy Norris said the NAIDOC Week shirts had become part of the school's daily uniform.
"Every student and every staff member got a shirt — to wear during NAIDOC Week," she said.
"We now wear them as part of our uniform, it's a pretty special design."
Ms Norris said the opportunity had enabled Shameka to grow her self-confidence and public speaking abilities.
"It's more than just the artwork, it's been such a massive opportunity for her," she said.
"She has had to speak in front of people, go down (to Perth) and meet people that she's never met before, she has stepped right out of her comfort zone.
"Now she's talking about pathways into that area ... to see how she can make her art commercial, it's been so valuable for her."
Murray said she was pleased to work with Shameka to create a unique NAIDOC Week shirt which was true to her original design.
"I spoke (about) the techniques and the processes, how we can make the design even better and take it to the next level to be professional," she said.
"Shameka is absolutely proud of her family and our community and where she comes from.
"I think she's going to do wonderful things in her community."
Gold Fields operates the Granny Smith underground goldmine about 20km south of Laverton.
Gold Fields vice-president of legal and corporate affairs Rebecca Shanahan said: "We thank Shameka and the Laverton school community for their participation and to Jilalga Murray for her mentoring and design expertise.
"This shirt design is a true collaboration and one that people through the Gold Fields workforce as was well as the wider community, are wearing with pride," she said.
