Now in its sixth year nationally, Drawing Us Together continues to celebrate First Nations culture, storytelling and creativity through a unique community storybook project. In 2026, we proudly partnered with First Nations authors from across Australia, who shared original stories inspired by this year's NAIDOC Week theme, "50 Years of Deadly."

Local primary school students were invited to bring these stories to life through art, submitting illustrations inspired by the authors' words. From an impressive 298 people voting and over 4,538 votes, 72 finalist artworks were selected and displayed in an in-centre exhibition during the July school holidays.

Thanks to the incredible support of our community, voting has now concluded and the final illustrations have been selected. Together, we have created a storybook that celebrates culture, creativity and connection while showcasing the talents of the next generation.

Winning Illustrations:

Front Cover: Melody Waters

Page 1 – Deklan Ward, One Mile State School

Page 2 – Sally, One Mile State School

Page 3 – Amity, One Mile State School

Page 4 – Samuel Davis, One Mile State School

Page 5 – Willow Seddon, Jones Hill State School

Page 6 – Vivienne Davies, Jones Hill State School

Page 7 – Jorden Ryan, Jones Hill State School

Page 8 – Thea Spacie, Jones Hill State School

Page 9 – Matilda Larder, Gympie East State School

Page 10 – Darcy Henwood and Daisy Suell, Gympie East State School

Page 11 – Ella Schulz, Gympie East State School

Page 12 – Amali, Gympie East State School

We look forward to welcoming our winning students and their families to centre for a special celebration recognising their outstanding contributions to this year's project.