ABOUT | Bronwyn Bancroft

Dr. Bronwyn Bancroft AM is a Bundjalung Woman and Artist.

Bronwyn’s career has included both national and international exhibitions. Her work is held in major Australian galleries, state libraries, and international collections including the National Gallery of Australia and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Bronwyn’s contribution to Aboriginal children’s literature has been immense and has included the publication of 50 books. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Aboriginal oral histories and stories were compiled almost exclusively by European anthropologists and writers. There were very few Aboriginal contemporary writers and illustrators at the time of Bronwyn’s first publication in 1992, with the exception of Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Sally Morgan. Along with these two incredible women, Bronwyn has been a trailblazer in the field of Australian literature and has contributed significantly to representation for Aboriginal storytellers.

Bronwyn received the Dromkeen Medal for her contribution to Australian literature and has been nominated for prestigious international children’s literature awards including the Hans Christian Andersen and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards.

Bronwyn has been a Director of her own company, Designer Aboriginals Pty Ltd since 1985. Bronwyn was among the first fashion designers to be invited to exhibit in Paris in 1987, alongside Euphemia Bostock and Mini Heath.

Bronwyn is one of ten founding members of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative (est. 1987) and has been the Co-operative’s senior strategist since 2009. Bronwyn was approached in 2009 to assist with saving the now 38-year-old institution, which was in an incredibly dire situation. Boomalli was about to lose its home at Flood St, Leichhardt, and was in significant debt. The fact that Boomalli is still going strong today, has a permanent space, and continues to provide support for hundreds of NSW Aboriginal artists is a testament to Bronwyn’s sheer determination, countless hours of volunteer time and expertise, and never giving up in the face of extreme adversity.

Bronwyn is extremely passionate about artists’ rights and education, particularly around copyright and intellectual property. Bronwyn is committed to sharing the expertise and knowledge she has gained over her career to mentor emerging artists through the many obstacles they continue to face in an incredibly daunting and intimidating industry.

Bronwyn also offers her extensive expertise to the organisations where she serves as a Board member/Director including the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), The Returning Indigenous Corporation, Create NSW First Nations Arts Form Board and the Commonwealth Bank Indigenous Advisory Council.

Bronwyn has a Diploma of Visual Arts, 2 Masters degrees and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Sydney. In 2024 Bronwyn was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the arts, and to the Indigenous community.

Photography by Toby Peet.

Condensed CV 2025

Education

2009 - 2018 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, The University of Sydney (2015-2018)/University of Western Sydney (2009-2014)

2006 MASTER OF ARTS IN PAINTING, The University of Sydney

2003 MASTER OF STUDIO PRACTICE, The University of Sydney, Fine Arts Department

1976 – 1980 DIPLOMA VISUAL ARTS, Canberra School of Arts, ACT

1975 HSC, Tenterfield High School, NSW

Work Experience

1985 – Pres PROPRIETOR/DESIGNER/ARTIST: Designer Aboriginals, Balmain, Sydney NSW

2018 - Pres SENIOR MANAGER: Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative (volunteer)

2009 - 2018 SENIOR STRATEGIST/CO-ORDINATOR: Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative (volunteer)

1987 - Pres FOUNDING MEMBER: Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative

Board Representations (current)

2007 – Pres DIRECTOR: Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)

2014 – Pres BOARD MEMBER: Commonwealth Bank Indigenous Advisory Council

2022 - Pres CHAIRWOMAN: The Returning

2024 - Pres CHAIRPERSON: First Nations Arts Form Board

Public Art Commissions

2026 Journey Across Time, Bankstown Metro Station

2025 Chasing Dreams, Artwork installation at Martin Place for 2025 VIVID Festival, Sydney in partnership with Chas Clarkson; The Beauty in Remembering, Concord Oval Acknowledgement of Country Artwork, Canada Bay Council, Sydney

2022 Time Travellers, Central Station, Sydney, Woods Bagot in partnership with Laing O’Rourke and Sydney Metro; Queen Victoria Building Christmas Tree - Artscape, Soundscape and Augmented reality experience (Curator and Artist) in partnership with Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, Vicinity Centres and Chas Clarkson

2016 Licensing of illustrations Kangaroo and Crocodile for the Paediatric Emergency Department, Canberra Hospital

2012 Public artwork for atrium lift shaft – Earth, Wing, Fire Water, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

2011 Public artwork (7 glass panels) – Weavings of Light and Life, Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre

2008 Public artwork (20m glass panel set in building) – featured artist, Auburn Hospital, Sydney

2006 United we stand, divided we fail the future, Hugo Street Mural, Redfern Sydney

2004 Gift Given Mural, Robyn Webster Complex, Tempe Reserve

Recent Exhibitions

2025

The Country Cries for Truth, State Library of NSW (solo exhibition); Mambuwalabu Ngaanhabu Gulbalabu, Liberty Place, Sydney, presented by AMBUSH Gallery; Always Was Always Will Be curated by Kyra Kum-Sing, Margaret Whitlam Galleries, University of Western Sydney; Gilli Gurung, Boomalli Annual Members Show curated by Jedda Ruby Riley, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative; Now and Forever, an exhibition in collaboration with Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf and Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf; Bush Trip: Voyage en Brousse Aborigene, Galerie IDAIA, Passage du Grand Cerf, Paris

2024

The Country Cries for Truth, State Library of NSW (solo exhibition); Mother/Daughter: Femmes Artistes des Premieres Nations Australiennes, Galerie IDAIA, Passage du Grand Cerf, Paris; Samadhi – Female Artists Dialogue Australia-China Touring Exhibition, e+Hive Art & Design Gallery Melbourne and Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute, China; Enliven Fuse curated by Kyra Kum-Sing, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative

2023

The Art and Science of Myrtle Rust, Australian PlantBank, The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan & Phive, Parramatta; Rectitude, curated by Kyra Kum-Sing, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative

Made You Look, Made You Stare, JEFA Gallery, Byron Bay; What a little yarn can do curated by Dennis Golding, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative; Restoration of Truth, an exhibition of work by Boomalli artists to commemorate 25 years of the Reconciliation Wall, NSW Parliament House, Sydney

2022

Riverstones and Ramifications, Grafton Regional Gallery (solo exhibition); Congregate: A Boomalli Exhibition at 107 Redfern, 107 Redfern; Imagine…the Wonder of Picture Books, State Library of NSW, Sydney

2021

Evaporate, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative; Boomalli x Justine Miller Exhibition at George Place, Sydney

Workshops/Talks

2025 Beyond the River Mentoring Workshop, Grafton Regional Gallery

2024 Weaving Stories from Woven Yarns, Panel Discussion at the State Library of NSW with Kyra Kum-Sing and Kylie Caldwell

2023 State Library of NSW Children’s Workshop; Brisbane Writers Festival Word Play Session; The Returning Artist Master Class

2022 Rising Tide Artist Camp Workshop Facilitator; City of Sydney NAIDOC Week In Conversation; Brisbane Writers Festival; Byron Writers Festival, Bleach Festival Artist Workshop

Awards & Presentation

2025 NSW Literary Awards – Multicultural NSW Award for Imagi-Nation written by Jack Manning Bancroft; illustrated by Dr. Bronwyn Bancroft

2024 Member of the Order of Australia (AM); The Lady Cutler Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature

2021 Create NSW’s NSW Aboriginal Creative Fellowship at the State Library of New South Wales

2020 University of Sydney Graduate Medal, The Sister Alison Bush Medal; Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Nomination

2015 Hans Christian Andersen Award (Illustrator) Nomination

2011 White Raven Literary Award – Why I love Australia, Bologna, Italy

2010 Dromkeen Medal for Children’s Literature for Contribution to Australian Literature

Please contact us here for a full copy of Dr. Bronwyn Bancroft AM's CV.