As we traveled from the Central Coast to Albury, Shirley Pearl’s curiosity was sparked by a roadside sign. “What does the sign say?” she asked. The sign in question displayed the speed limit—110 km/h. But this one question opened the floodgates to many more. Every new road sign became a point of interest, and soon, we were exploring written language in our environment.
To extend this curiosity, we began yarning about other signs—signs on Country. I pointed out how our shadows change in length throughout the day, a natural indicator of time. We listened to the calls of birds, wondering what messages they might be sharing. We noticed the shifting seasons through the world around us—the shedding bark of trees, the direction of the wind, and the blossoming flowers.
At the regional gallery, we explored Aboriginal artworks rich with symbols, discussing their meanings and the stories they told. Inspired by this, we found a patch of dirt outside and used sticks to create our own symbols, experimenting with ways to communicate through markings in the land.
On the way home, we stopped at the Canberra Regional Show and were handed a map filled with symbols guiding us to different attractions. This turned into an exciting scavenger hunt as we navigated our way, collecting stamps at various points—just like how we had been reading signs in nature.
Through this journey, Shirley discovered that signs are not just words on a board; they are everywhere, woven into the land, sky, and even the stories painted on a canvas. By embedding Aboriginal perspectives, we learned to read the world differently—not just through written language but through the language of Country itself.
