18 July 2025

Celebrating culture and safety at Maules Creek with Indigenous truck tray artwork

In celebration of NAIDOC Week and this year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, Maules Creek Coal proudly unveiled a newly commissioned truck tray featuring artwork by local Gomeroi artist Lahni Natty.

The striking design, titled Warruwi Ngarr Warrayma-li – meaning Building Strong Pathways in Gamilaraay, carries a powerful message in Gomeroi language: Maaru Yunawaaya, which translates to Go well, be safe. This message serves as a daily reminder to all on site of the importance of safety and cultural connection.

Lahni Natty, a traditional owner from Gunnedah and youth support worker at the Winanga-Li local youth hub, created the artwork with a focus on community, resilience and strength.

“I have based this piece around the up-and-coming youth. The artwork shows ‘My Home’ & ‘My culture’ the way I see it, community focused, resilient and strong,” said Lahni.

“I have had the privilege of being asked to do quite a large piece not knowing at the beginning how much it would be used on other things. The process was lengthy but I enjoyed absolutely every moment of creating this canvas.

“When going to Maules Creek on Wednesday everyone was so welcoming and having the opportunity to see my work on the tray was just breathtaking. To see my art displayed before my eyes is truly surreal.”

Whitehaven’s Senior Manager – NSW Indigenous Engagement, Bob Sutherland, acknowledged the collaborative effort behind the project and the cultural significance of Lahni’s contribution.

“We are very proud of the response to the truck tray launch and grateful for the support we’ve received from the Maules Creek Coal workforce. This truck tray represents a true team effort and I want to sincerely thank everyone involved specifically Jorge Moraga, Mark Irwin, Ammar Choudhary at Maules, and the team at Schlam who design and manufacture the world’s best load and haul attachments.

“We are especially honoured to feature a commissioned piece from Lahni Natty, a proud Gomeroi artist. Her artwork has added cultural significance and meaning to the truck tray, and we are privileged to share Lahni’s story through this launch,” he added.

Whitehaven is proud to support initiatives that celebrate Indigenous culture and foster strong community connections. Indigenous employees represented 10.6% of Whitehaven’s full-time equivalent workforce in FY24 and many joined Lahni at the launch event alongside maintenance crews, mine managers and members of Whitehaven’s leadership team.

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