Woman of Influence: Ros Moriarty | BALARINJI Indigenous Design and Strategy

In the June/July issue of Harper's Bazaar Australia, Ros Moriarty is recognised as one of Australia's most influential and inspiring women. She talks about Balarinji's journey, women in leadership and the work of Moriarty Foundation.

HB: Please tell us about you – and what led up to today’s success?

RM: Our business had unlikely beginnings on a kitchen table in 1981, when Melbourne was home. John drew long-neck turtle images that I screen-printed onto a quilt cover for our newborn son, Tim Bundyan. We wanted him to feel close to our Yanyuwa family in the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory, more than 4,000 kilometres away. From this simple expression – eventually – came our design studio, Balarinji. It’s the Yanyuwa skin name of our sons Tim and James Djawarrawarral. Our vision was to celebrate the heritage and identity of our sons and our daughter, Julia Marrayelu.

As a Stolen Generations survivor, John was taken from his mother as a four-year-old and prohibited from speaking language or practising culture until he found his way back to his community in the far north as a young adult. As parents, we made a pact that we would ensure our children’s connections to their culture were strong and continuous, often meaning days of driving back to the Gulf. We began to realise that our family’s personal-identity journey could resonate with Australia’s broader search for a unique belonging in the world.

HB: Your business has thrived. What is your current role within it?

RM: My role at Balarinji is the same as it was in the beginning – except there were no employees back then, and no salary for a few years. As the current managing director and creative executive, I work with our teams to ensure Balarinji is always moving forward commercially and that we are staying true to our creative vision. There is always change, of course. Sometimes the team adjusts the path in response to shifts in the market, and sometimes we are evolving our design approach and Indigenous engagement methodologies in line with new opportunities we can create.

HB: How has Balarinji evolved over its history?

RM: We now focus our efforts on significant brand and visual-identity campaigns. The Aboriginal narrative is largely missing from Australia’s public places and buildings. It is still more common to see Indigenous elements integrated into a piece of art hanging in the foyer, or a painted mural on a wall, than reflected in architecture and design thinking for major urban precincts. So, we continue to trailblaze this space. Change is coming.

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