Surfboard Project

The 2026 Surfboard Competition is currently on hold

Please read the story behind the Saltwater Healing Surfboard by Bars Behind Me

Stories of Strength, Survival & Hope

Saltwater Healing Surfboard by **Bars Behind Me**

Bars Behind Me, created on the unwavering belief in the strength, wisdom, lived experience, and potential of Aboriginal women.
We recognise the deep and lasting impacts of colonisation, systemic racism, and intergenerational trauma that have contributed to the over-representation of our sisters in the justice system.
Bars Behind aims to empower Aboriginal women through transformative support, healing, and opportunity, enabling them to break free from cycles of incarceration and to rise into lives defined by strength, purpose, and dignity. We believe that through cultural reconnection, compassionate care, and meaningful opportunities, each woman can rebuild a resilient and fulfilling life and inspire others to do the same.
With a heart for justice and a commitment to change, Bars Behind Me is dedicated to providing personalised emotional support, advocacy, healing programs, and pathways to employment and training. From prison to purpose, we nurture each woman’s journey, grounded in respect, cultural safety, and the power of community.

The Saltwater Healing Surfboard is a collective cultural artwork created through the Bars Behind Me (BBM) Saltwater Healing program. It brings together the personal stories of 19 women, with each journey respectfully held within the Aboriginal symbol for a woman, recognising the strength, identity and sacred place of every participant.

Each story is deeply personal, reflecting lived experience, healing, resilience and hope for the future. While every woman's journey is unique, together they form a powerful visual representation of connection, belonging and collective healing. The artwork has been shared with women locally and across New South Wales as a meaningful cultural connection strategy, demonstrating that no woman walks her journey alone.

The central story belongs to Bars Behind Me founder, Barbara Brennan. It represents the heart and spirit of BBM and the vision of walking alongside Aboriginal women from adversity towards healing and leadership. Her daughter, Laraya Sunshine, is depicted through yellow rays of sunshine, symbolising the giver of life, hope and the light that guides future generations. Together, they hold the spirit of Bars Behind Me within them, represented by the BBM logo at the centre of their story.

Watching over the entire artwork is the family's totem, the Willy Wagtail, offering cultural protection, guidance and strength to every woman whose story is held on the board.

The Saltwater Healing Surfboard is more than an artwork—it is a living story of courage, culture, healing and sisterhood. It reminds us that every woman carries a story worth honouring, every journey deserves to be witnessed, and through culture we find our way home.

This artwork would not exist without the extraordinary vision and generosity of artist Jess Scerri, whose own story is held in the place of honour at the crest of the humpback whale's back. From this position, Jess watches over every story woven into the artwork, symbolising the care, respect and love she poured into bringing each woman's journey to life. Through her artistic gift, she transformed individual stories into one collective narrative of healing, culture and belonging. Her contribution extends far beyond paint on a surfboard—it is a lasting legacy that honours the voices of 19 women and ensures their stories will continue to inspire, connect and create hope for generations to come.