Adelaide Metro continues reconciliation journey with student art unveiled on buses and tram

Tuesday, 30 May 2023

An Adelaide Metro tram and two City Connector buses bearing striking Aboriginal art designed by secondary school students have hit Adelaide’s streets to mark National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.

As part of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s ongoing recognition and support of the culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people, an Adelaide Metro tram is again showcasing artworks created by students of the South Australian Aboriginal Secondary Training Academy (SAASTA) program.

This year’s tram displays artworks from students at eight different academies across the state, following a collaborative process where 200 SAASTA Year 10 students worked with local artists and Elders to develop the artworks as part of their annual curriculum.

These artworks featured on football guernseys worn by students participating in the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup earlier this month – the culmination of the SAASTA program designed to help young people embrace their Aboriginal culture and address National Closing the Gap targets.

The Department has been a proud partner of Power Community for many years, supporting students on their driver’s licence journey and to be champions for a more-positive Think! Road Safety culture.

The tram design also features translations of both the National Reconciliation Week theme, Be a Voice for Generations and the NAIDOC Week theme, For Our Elders, in Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Arabic to support more visitors and locals to appreciate these important messages of reconciliation.

This special tram wrap will be in place until 30 July.

Two City Connector buses have also been wrapped with artworks created by SAASTA students, Nana’s Dreaming from the Le Fevre Academy and For Our Elders from the Riverland Academy.

These fantastic artworks, along with the eye-catching Bump Along design on the remaining four City Connector buses, deliver on an election pledge to make it easier for both residents and tourists to jump on board free services across the city and North Adelaide.

To learn more about the story behind each artwork or to find a public transport service near you, please visit the Adelaide Metro website.