Londyn Westwood is a proud First Nations student living on the South Coast of NSW.

The year 6 student from Warilla Public School has been learning about her culture with local Aboriginal Elder and artist Aunty Jo through the school’s Little Boori program.

Inspired by her lessons, Londyn designed a shirt celebrating Dharawal culture that features significant symbols and elements that are meaningful to the local Aboriginal community, including the humpback whale, waters of Lake Illawarra, kangaroo tracks and learning circles.

Today, her artwork is now proudly being worn by every member of her Year 6 graduating class.

Londyn Westwood said the whale, or ‘Burriburri’, was particularly significant to her.

“My personal connection is with ‘Burriburri’ (the Humpback Whale) because he’s my totem, and the kangaroo footprints represent everyone moving forward together,” Londyn said.

“The human shapes in the design symbolise all the boys and girls at our school, showing that the artwork is for everyone.”

Encouraged by her teacher, Londyn entered her design into the Smart Gifts ‘Design Your 2026 Year 6 Shirt’ competition, where it was placed third.

As part of the prize, every Year 6 student at Warilla Public School received a shirt featuring Londyn’s artwork.

For Londyn, seeing her design brought to life has been a proud moment.

“I am happy and grateful for the opportunity to design the Year 6 shirts with my Aboriginal artwork. I feel proud of myself and excited to share my culture through this design,” she said.

The project also gave Londyn an opportunity to deepen her understanding of the cultural significance of Aboriginal symbols and the importance of representing them respectfully.

“With Miss Jo and Aunty Jo, I learned more about Aboriginal symbols and how to use them correctly in my artwork,” she said.

“Their guidance helped me understand the meaning behind the symbols and how to represent them respectfully.”

The finished shirts are more than a Year 6 keepsake.

They celebrate the students’ shared journey through primary school while reflecting the deep cultural heritage of the community in which they learn.