Meet Emma Bamblett
The artist behind the 'tap and go' First Nations artwork.
Meet Emma Bamblett, a proud Wemba Wemba, Gunditjmara, Ngadjonji and Taungurung artist and co-founder of Kinya Lerrk. Her practice spans multiple mediums, creating culturally rich designs that celebrate heritage, storytelling, and connection.
Emma was commissioned through First Nations-owned and operated creative agency, Little Rocket, to create a bespoke artwork to support the upgrade of Victoria’s public ticketing system. Safe journey across Country depicts Bunjil, the wedge-tailed eagle, guiding travellers across pathways, footprints, and train lines, while symbols and Manna gum leaves honour staff, safe systems, and Traditional Custodians. Through vibrant colours and layered forms, the artwork reflects the care, connections, and shared experiences that sustain journeys across Country.
Keep an eye out - Emma’s artwork will appear on key customer touchpoints, both on‑network and online, to help guide your journey as we roll out tap and go across the train, tram and bus network.
About the artist
Emma’s profound passion for visual art is rooted in the vibrant local arts community. Collaborating with fellow First Nations artist Megan Van Den Berg, Emma co-founded their business “KINYA LERRK,” symbolising ‘women coming together’ in Wemba Wemba. This partnership celebrates their unique First Nations heritages, working on projects that infuse living and workspaces with culturally enriched designs, paying tribute to the land’s custodians.
Through her work in the community sector, Emma demonstrates her commitment to harnessing art’s transformative potential by serving as a conduit for personal journeys, stories and cultural connections, with the vulnerable people she meets. Her dedication is driven by a passion for teaching, guiding, and strengthening family bonds within the context of culture and community through art-based projects for children, youth, and families.
Her work has been showcased at notable events like the Koorie Night Market, Koorie Heritage Trust, and Craft Victoria, establishing herself as a dedicated custodian of First Nations art and culture.
About the artwork
Title: Safe journey across Country
Safe journey across Country celebrates the journeys that weave together people, Country, and community.
Bunjil, the wedge-tailed eagle, appears throughout the artwork, ever-present as guide and protector. Depicted in bright pink, his wings carry hill formations, highlighting his significance as both creator and guardian of the Kulin Nation. As he moves across the landscape, he watches over travellers, tracing the contours of land and Country, reflecting his deep connection, care, and protection for all who journey upon it.
Footprints trace the paths of people moving between city and regional areas, carrying stories, purpose, and belonging. Soft pink pathways wind through the artwork, echoing Victoria’s diverse lands and the many directions of travel, while lime-green lines map the train systems that link communities and carry people safely across Country. Bright orange sections paired with blue connection symbols mark the Department of Transport and Planning. Around them, smaller stones reflect staff, while the orange dots symbolise the systems and policies that maintain safe travel and connect communities. The large orange circles, with smaller circles nestled within, represent movement and the ongoing planning that keeps people connected and safe. Scattered Manna gum leaves honour the Traditional Custodians and pay respect to the many mobs and language groups whose lands we pass. The leaves speak to ceremony, cleansing, and welcoming smoke that acknowledges Country and its people.
This artwork serves at a touch point for commuters to pause and connect on their everyday journey. It shows how journeys are shaped by the interplay of people, systems, and land, creating experiences that are meaningful, safe, and shared. Through its layered symbols, shapes, and vibrant colours, the artwork invites viewers to explore, reflect, and understand that the journey is not just about arriving, but about the connections and care that sustain us across Country and community.
About Little Rocket
Little Rocket is proud to lead the cultural art commissioning for this project, working with Emma Bamblett to bring First Nations storytelling into Melbourne’s public transport network, creating a strong and visible cultural presence across the city.
Little Rocket’s role was to support Emma throughout the process and ensure the work was delivered with care and cultural integrity. The project reflects their commitment to backing First Nations artists in Melbourne, creating opportunities at scale, and contributing to public spaces where community members can feel seen, represented and safe in their everyday journey.