Win First Nations artwork by voting on your favourite Caritas Australia portrait

Caritas Australia is celebrating its 60th anniversary with the launch of a limited-edition commemoration book 60 Faces: Portraits of Compassion in Action. The book features stunning portraits of participants in programs across Australia and overseas and is now available for pre-order. 

The book is supported by a virtual exhibition, where supporters can vote for their favourite portrait and enter the draw to win an artwork from Caritas Australia’s First Australian program partner Djlipin Arts. The photo competition* can be entered online here.

The painting, by First Nations artist Harry Malibirr, sees acrylics used to depict five of Harry's dreaming stories. It was painted using a handmade jarlk grass reed brush harvested from local billabongs and wet areas. Harry was born at Elcho Island and is an artistic cultural man through mediums of painting, carving and ceremonial dancing of Bungul.

20 of the commemoration books, 60 Faces: Portraits of Compassion in Action, are also available as runner-up prizes.

Kirsty Robertson CEO of Caritas Australia said "The faces and stories in this book represent the impact of kindness on the world’s most vulnerable communities. This impact is made possible by the collective generosity, love, and compassion of our supporters, to whom we are sincerely grateful. Last year alone, we were able to reach over 1.5 million people across 36 countries by walking together in our mission to uphold dignity and promote justice.”

“We hope that everyone draws as much hope, strength, and light from this book as we do. We also wish all competition entrants the best of luck.”

2024 is Caritas Australia’s 60^th year, following the founding of the Catholic Overseas Relief Committee in 1964, which later became Caritas Australia. In the 60 years since, the organisation has grown to work in 36 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific. It is part of one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world, Caritas Internationalis, which is a confederation of 162 member organisations with programs in 200 countries, and over one million staff and volunteers.  

Throughout the year supporters will hear from Caritas Australia through events, emails, letters, Parish bulletins, and a series of videos, with these activities inviting them to celebrate the change brought about by six decades of their compassion. 

*The competition will close on June 30th. See the full terms and conditions here. 

ENDS

Media contact: Tara Harvey 0484 002 021 tara.harvey@caritas.org.au or caritasmedia@caritas.org.au