City of Maribyrnong Council has welcomed grant funding from the State Government’s Victorian Women in Public Art Program to create a large-scale mural celebrating the life and legacy of Aunty Margaret (Lilardia) Tucker MBE – a proud Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri woman – at the local park that also carries her name.
Supported by members of the public across Victoria who voted on potential projects throughout the state, a giant two-wall mural will be installed at Lilardia Park in Footscray, named for Aunty Marge. It will be produced by Grace Dlabik from BE. ONE CREATIVE and brought to life by an all-female Indigenous creative team, led by Wiradjuri artist, Jessi Rebel, with assistance from Amina Briggs (Boonwurrung, Ugar, Erub), Kiri Tawhai (Whadjuk Noongar, Ngapuhi, Ngati Tuwharetoa) and Kee’ahn Bindol (Yalanji, Jirrbal, Badu islande).
Mayor, Pradeep Tiwari said Council was immensely proud to bring this artwork to life as a tribute to Aunty Marge.
“As a trailblazer in so many areas, this mural will serve as a lasting reminder of her legacy. It’s especially fitting that it will be placed in Lilardia Park, named in her honour, and that an all-female Indigenous team will carry forward her work of empowering and uplifting the community,” he said.
Aunty Marge was a passionate Aboriginal rights activist who played a key role in founding the Australian Aborigines’ League and in establishing the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service. She made history as the first woman to sit on the Victorian Aboriginal Welfare Board in 1964 and then in 1967, the Commonwealth Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. In 1983, the Margaret Tucker Hostel was established for vulnerable Aboriginal women and children and in 2001, she was inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, among the first to receive the honour.
Located in the Joseph Road Precinct in Footscray, Lilardia Park provides residents living in this high density area with much needed public open space. The $2.3 million project (including land purchase), jointly funded by the State Government, includes passive open space, garden beds, tree planting, seating areas, and a sheltered picnic space, as requested by the community.
“Council has been working hard to invest in precinct upgrade works to deliver a high level of amenity in the Joseph Road Precinct, and Lilardia Park is an important part for the renewal project,” Mayor Tiwari said.
“Our community had been calling for additional open space in our municipality, and Lilardia Park has become a welcome addition to this area for all residents.”
The mural, scheduled to be installed in November 2025, will serve as both a tribute to Aunty Marge’s pioneering activism and as a symbol of the enduring contributions of Indigenous women to the arts and social justice.
