21 September 2021

Spotlight on Marrawuy Journeys

For Ngiyampaa woman, Sarah Richards, art has always been a healer. 

A way to destress and connect to culture. 

Sarah said, “I’ve always enjoyed painting ever since I was a young child. I continued that up until grade 9, then decided to choose other subjects in the business field. I guess I didn’t see that there was an option in the creative world and went into the accounting world. That seemed like a good steppingstone.”

Now she’s swapped her day job for her paintbrushes, and is pursuing her business, ‘Marrawuy Journeys’ fulltime. 

“I used the knowledge from my degree to turn my passion from a hobby into a small business.” 

Marrawuy Journeys was not only born out of passion, but its name has a significant meaning that’s close to Sarah’s heart. 

Sarah said, “I have a family tree that shows that the totem of one of my ancestors was a red kangaroo and this is one of the reasons I have chosen to go by Marrawuy Journeys. Marrawuy means red kangaroo. The other is the fact that a Kangaroo can’t jump backwards. This resonates strongly with me because no matter what challenges I am thrown, I keep moving forward.”

Marrawuy Journeys is not your typical art business. They also offer self-discovery, team-building and bespoke workshops. 

“Through my workshops I try to work with other people to share my story and help them with their wellbeing and opening up conversations.” 

Sarah plans to grow Marraway Journeys into a business that is full of opportunities for artists and other Aboriginal people. 

“I want to be able to collaborate with other Aboriginal artists. I think it’s really important to be able to enable other artists in sharing their journey. I think there’s a common theme of art being a healer. I want to also employ Aboriginal people in all aspects of the business as well – my goal is having a hub where people can come together. Nothing seems to be impossible.” 

You can find out more about Marrawuy Journeys at www.mjourneys.com.au