Sean Bundjalung Delsignore / Rivers, Valleys and Mountains (SB226)

“Our people live in harmony with the land and sea. We believe strongly in our Aboriginal spirituality and that our life cycle evolves and is connected to everything in the universe.”

Known as ‘Bundjalung Sean’, Sean paints the land, people, and sacred sites of his Country on the far north coast of New South Wales, around Cabbage Tree Island. He began painting at the age of 15, inspired by the Dreaming stories shared by his mother, Yvonne. Born on Cabbage Tree Island, Yvonne is a highly respected elder who passed on the language, culture, and laws of their community to Sean.

In addition to his art, Sean is committed to education and land conservation. He received a Diploma in Education (Aboriginal) in 2003 and completed Aboriginal Tour Guide Training with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in 2007.

Sean has combined his passion for art and teaching through community mural projects. At his former school, Ballina High School, he led a mural project with Aboriginal students, creating a topographical depiction of the landscape that highlights a North Creek midden site and the South Ballina massacre site using traditional and contemporary symbols. He also created a mural for Lennox Head Public School, featuring students’ handprints around the border, and worked on a unique project to paint a Port Botany bus with designs by local primary and high school students. Community members added their handprints to complete the artwork. These collaborative projects reflect Sean’s commitment to passing on cultural knowledge and strengthening community connections.

Through his work with NPWS, Sean conducts discovery tours to educate visitors on bush foods, native plants, and local wildlife. He also plays a key role in liaising with local Aboriginal communities and ensuring that Bundjalung culture remains embedded in the land and stories of the National Parks.

Through his art and community work, Sean weaves together knowledge, culture and Country — keeping traditions alive while inspiring future generations.

This is Bundjalung Country, representing our creation story of how the land was formed.

The Ancestral story tells of a great battle between our totem, the Goanna, and a Snake, which shaped the valleys and mountains stretching from Evans Head to Tweed Heads. The highest mountain in the area is Mount Wollumbin (known as Mount Warning).

The Goanna saved the people from the Snake and now waits at a place in Evans Head called Chinaman’s Beach. The formation of the rock face there resembles the Goanna, still watching over and protecting our people.