About the Field Guide
About Aunty Maxine Ryan (coming soon)
Gallery (coming soon)
'Walking with Aunty Maxine Ryan' is a field guide to La Perouse told through the perspective of Dharawal Elder, artist, and educator Aunty Maxine Ryan. Commissioned by La Perouse Museum and Randwick City Council, and developed in close consultation with Aunty Maxine and the Museum team, the publication weaves together cultural knowledge, personal reflection, and historical and ecological narratives.
The guide celebrates La Perouse as a place of continuous Aboriginal connection and cultural strength. It reflects on moments of first contact between First Nations Australians and the British, the establishment of one of the earliest missions, and the ongoing entanglements of community life, industry, and environment.
Drawing on Aunty Maxine’s passions and family history, the publication highlights the intergenerational practice of shellwork carried by La Perouse women, including her mother, Lola Delia Ryan. This practice is framed within broader narratives of survival, resilience, and creativity, underscoring the strength and continuity of culture across generations.
Functioning as both a standalone resource and a companion to Aunty Maxine’s cultural walking tours, the guide invites readers to see La Perouse through the lived connections and care that continue to shape it today.
To book Aunty Maxine Ryan’s Aboriginal Shell Art Workshop and Aboriginal-focused Walk and Talk, please contact: lpm@randwick.nsw.gov.au.
Walking with Aunty Maxine Ryan
A La Perouse Field Guide
Rockpool Residency: Unseen Worlds is a collaborative project engaging with artists, scientists, ecologists, and perspectives from First Nations Australians. The project aspires to a more connected and collective sense of place. It celebrates unique intertidal and broader ecologies and the enduring cultural significance of the land.
Join us for a site-responsive art and event day centred around Nielsen Park, Vaucluse, situated on the lands of the Gadigal and Birrabirragal People.
Floorplan Studio honours the deep and enduring relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold with the lands, of La Perouse and across Australia. We recognise that meaningful decolonisation is an ongoing process and commit to listening, learning and working in reciprocity toward a regenerative future for all peoples and the more-than-human world. We peer beyond the existing social order and seek a regenerative future – living in reciprocity with each other and nature.
Events
La Perouse Museum Reopening Celebration & Exhibitions and Field Guide Launch
Date. Friday 19 September 2025
Time. 6.00PM — 8.00PM
Address. 1542 Anzac Parade, La Perouse NSW 2036
About. Join the La Perouse Museum us on the front lawn for a relaxed BBQ and drinks before they officially open the doors to the refreshed museum. Recently repainted and fitted with brand new lighting, the building has been revitalised to showcase an exciting new chapter in its history.
6.00pm - BBQ dinner on the front lawn
6.30pm - Speeches and official opening
6.45pm - Museum doors open
In the event of wet weather, the event will be held indoors.
Supported By
We live and work on Bidjigal, Birrabirragal and Gadigal Country. We honour the ongoing cultural and ecological relationships First Nations Australians hold with Country, waters and skies and acknowledge their continued custodianship.
Copyright 2023, Floorplan Studio