A School’s Story, Told in Country

Generations of Learning is an original sand-engraved artwork by Saretta Fielding, commissioned for Cessnock Public School, a place where people come together to learn, grow, and belong.

The design opens with three gathering circles, each one reflecting the school’s core values of respect, safety, and active learning. They also honour the three stages of education - preschool, infants, primary - and acknowledge the three local Aboriginal groups whose Country this school calls home: the Wonnarua, Awabakal, and Darkinjung peoples.

Traditional people symbols embrace the central imagery, tracing pathways of learning that stretch across generations. These are the footsteps of children becoming adults, of families who return year after year, of a community that carries its history forward with pride.

Above it all, the wedgetail eagle watches, a symbol of strength, guidance, and protection. The Parrakan Aboriginal Education team is woven into the boomerang imagery, a reminder that learning is a journey we return to again and again. The sun warms the scene from above. Songlines travel across the hills, linking people, place, and spirit. At the base, Mount Yengo stands firm - grounding the story in culture, in Country, in belonging.

Generations of Learning is an open invitation: to every student, family, and educator who walks through these doors - you are welcome here, and your story is part of this place.

Artwork Details

• Size: 1020(w) × 1020(h) mm
• Medium: Sand engraving, mixed media on premium stretched canvas
• Year: 2025
• Ready to hang - includes hooks and wire
• Commission artwork