By Lady Mohawk
Westies are invited to participate in a unique photography competition tied to the new Footscray Hospital, a facility that goes beyond healthcare by embracing art, cultural safety, and community identity.
Centred on the theme Of Place: Connections to Nature & Wellbeing, this photography competition is part of the hospital’s broader strategy to integrate public art that resonates with the region’s heritage and environment.
Footscray’s vibrancy: its markets, multicultural life, and creative spirit, has deeply shaped this project. The Of Place curatorial framework embeds artworks that acknowledge Country, migration history, environmental connection, and resilience, ensuring the hospital reflects both healing and local stories.
As an artist and the lead judge for the photography prize in collaboration with Footscray Community Arts, I feel deeply fortunate to be a part of this project, helping local voices and views be reflected in the heart of our new hospital, one of the state’s largest ever health infrastructure projects.
This competition invites people from Melbourne’s western suburbs (Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Brimbank, Wyndham, Melton or Moonee Valley council areas) to participate. We’re encouraging entries that respond to the natural elements found in the West that will bring a sense of calm to hospital patients and visitors. It is a way for us to celebrate the beauty of the west, from Werribee Gorge, Williamstown Wetlands, to Brimbank Park and Footscray Park. We have so many stunning natural beauties in the West and here is a chance to show them off and be connected to the hospital.
This is an opportunity for Footscray and the wider west to see ourselves reflected in the heart of our new hospital. Through the lens of nature, wellbeing, and place, we get to share what makes our community unique. It’s more than a competition, it’s an invitation to shape this space with our own voices, pride, and vision.
Selected photographs will feature as part of an exhibition at the new Footscray Hospital, displayed digitally when the hospital opens.
The competition welcomes participants from five years and up, across all skill levels. You don’t need a professional camera, just the ability to capture the natural moments that soothe and inspire.
A total prize pool of $4,000 is on offer: First Prize: $2,000, Second Prize: $1,000, Third Prize: $500, Youth (Primary): $250 and Youth (Secondary): $250
Entry is free, limited to one submission per person, and the deadline is 15 October.
Apply here: footscrayarts.com/of-place-connections-to-nature-and-wellbeing/
The new Footscray Hospital Project is being delivered by Plenary Health in partnership with the Victorian state government and Western Health.
Lady Mohawk,( aka Sally Walshe) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice celebrates community, connection, and sustainability. Based in Footscray, she delivers workshops and public art projects that bring people together. Contact: sally@ladymohawk.com.au | Instagram: @lady.mohawk
