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Walk into the Coffs Harbour Women’s Health Centre today and you can’t miss it. A sweeping, vibrant mural stretches across the wall – deep purples, Gumbaynggirr symbols, four groups of figures representing four decades, and handprints pressed into the paint by the very people who have made this place what it is.
The artwork is called Nyami’s Healing / Nyami’s Darrundaygam – Women’s Healing in Gumbaynggirr language. And the artist behind it is Karly Morris: proud Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti, Wiradjuri woman, Morris/Hart family of Coffs Harbour, and quietly one of the most prolific artists on the Coffs Coast.
A connection built on community
Karly’s relationship with the Women’s Health Centre began before the 40th anniversary mural – with an earlier painting downstairs called Strength of a Mother. That work tells the story of the strength of women across generations: the silhouette of a pregnant woman, kangaroo tracks symbolising ancestors guiding women through childbirth, arc symbols representing the sisters, mothers, aunties and grandmothers who shape us.
The story behind it is Karly’s own. Her mother Rachel – the oldest of seven children, who became a young mum herself while still learning about life – gave birth to five daughters by caesarean section. During the last birth in 2001, Rachel was rushed in prematurely, fell into a coma, and was pronounced medically dead a number of times. Her grandparents prayed in the chapel. Her dad sobbed in the halls. And then, miraculously, she came back.
“I tend to ask her to retell me this story often as it inspires me to be strong,” Karly writes. “Her story reminds me to always appreciate my mother, my creator.”
That first commission brought Karly back through the Centre’s doors – and when the 40th anniversary approached, she was invited to return. Could she create something even larger?
A journey of her own
What Karly has chosen to share about creating Nyami’s Darrundaygam is something many who walk past it won’t know – and it makes the mural even more meaningful.
When she was contacted about collaborating with the Centre for the second time, Karly was struggling deeply with her mental health. “With the strong women around me, I was reminded of my strength and put this into my art,” she writes. “These women were part of my healing journey and their handprints are also amongst this piece. Creating this artwork not only has aided in my journey, it has allowed me to express my emotion and allow me to regain that passion of expressing myself creatively.”
A mural about women’s healing, created during the artist’s own healing. It doesn’t get more fitting than that.
What the symbols mean
The many shades of purple throughout the work symbolise empowerment in women’s health. At the centre, a large white symbol spreads horizontally across the wall – the Gumbaynggirr journey symbol, representing the path the Centre has walked over the last four decades.
Four groups in shades of purple are meeting place symbols, one for each decade. Around each meeting place are symbols representing people – the many who have contributed to and been shaped by the Women’s Health Centre over forty years. And the handprints throughout the entire artwork? They represent the staff – each person adding their own unique print to show the diversity of the women who make this place what it is.
Karly worked on the mural across evenings and Saturdays from late February through to April or May, with Centre Manager Julie often nearby. “I was so sad when I finished,” Karly recalls, “because it had been a really nice process. Just to have so much freedom on such a big space.”
Beyond the artwork
What makes Karly’s contribution to the Centre remarkable is how far it extends beyond the walls she has painted. Through her connections with young people – including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at Orara High School – and through family and community networks, Karly has helped young women and community members see the Women’s Health Centre and the Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic as places that are safe, welcoming and for them.
In a region where trust in healthcare can be hard-won for Aboriginal communities, that kind of connection is not a small thing. Karly builds it naturally, through her presence, her stories and her art.
Art found her
Karly grew up on the Wongala Mission and by Coffs Creek in the Hart family home. She didn’t start painting until her mid-20s – she was always good at drawing, but painting came later, almost by accident. “One day I just tried it and I was like, oh, that’s actually all right. The more I did it, the better I got.”
Now her work is everywhere: school libraries, principals’ offices, classrooms, and community spaces across the region. Her grandmother’s brother, Tony Hart is a local Gumbaynggirr artist too. “You might not be good at something now,” Karly says, “but it doesn’t mean you’re not going to get there one day. Don’t knock it till you try.”
What comes next
Karly has recently won the Arts and Cultural Achievement Award as part of the 2026 Yandaarra Aunty Grace Roberts Community Awards – recognition of her outstanding contribution to arts, culture and community across the Coffs Harbour region. The awards were announced on 6 July as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations.
And on 11 September, as the Women’s Health Centre marks its 40th birthday, Karly will be there – creating live art as the community gathers. Whatever emerges in that moment will be shaped by the people in the room, the energy of the day, and whatever Karly sees when she looks at the space.
Nyami’s Darrundaygam closes with a message in Karly’s own words, mounted on the wall beside the mural. It feels like the right way to end here too:
“This artwork is a reminder that everyone is on their own journey, each is different yet so similar. Full of wins and losses. How you hold yourself up during the losses will determine how big your wins are. From me to you, be strong and never give up.”
Karly Morris is a Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti, Wiradjuri woman and artist based on the Coffs Coast. Follow her work on Instagram: @karlymorris_art
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