Indigenous music legends Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter will be honored with a statue in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in 2023.
Myrtle Evans, the sister of Archie Roach said, “I remember good times with my dear baby brother Archie in Fitzroy and with Ruby right beside him. We shared many good times here together as a family. Being back here reminds me of those times. I miss those times now. May the spirit of dear Archie and Ruby always be here.”
Wurundjeri elder Colin Hunter said, “Uncle Archie’s and Aunty Ruby’s passion for their people inspired these gifted songwriters. They produced lyrics that not only touched the hearts of millions but educated a nation on the Stolen Generations.”
Archie and Ruby were both partners in life as well as music. Ruby passed away in 2010 at age 54. Archie left us this year at age 66.
Archie’s debut album ‘Charcoal Lane’ was named after the Fitzroy location for the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service.
Ruby was the first female First Nations artist to release her own album. ‘Thoughts Within’ came out in 1994. Archie’s first ‘Charcoal Lane’ was released in 190.
Statement from the Victorian Government:
The lives and legacies of Uncle Archie Roach AM and Aunty Ruby Hunter will be celebrated through a new public artwork to be installed in Fitzroy.
Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos today joined members of Uncle Archie and Aunty Ruby’s family, along with representatives from the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and Yarra City Council, to announce an Andrews Labor Government investment of $287,000 for the sculpture.
Throughout their careers, both Uncle Archie and Aunty Ruby paved the way for First Peoples within the arts. Aunty Ruby’s 1994 album, Thoughts Within, was the first solo album to be released by a First Peoples female artist and earned an ARIA Award nomination.
In 2020, Aunty Ruby was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame, the same year Uncle Archie was named Victorian of the Year.
As well as creating a unique new landmark where music fans from across Victoria and around the world can pay tribute to the artists, the statue will recognise the pair’s important work with Melbourne’s First Peoples communities.
Since its establishment in 2014, the Archie Roach Foundation has had a significant impact on the lives of countless First Peoples artists and young people.
In March, the Foundation established the Ruby Hunter Award to support emerging First Peoples female artists with opportunities to be mentored by some of the country’s most prominent First Peopleswomen in music and receive a cash prize.
The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and Yarra City Council, along with family members, will start the process to commission and design the statue to be unveiled in 2023.
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