The Women who Inspired the Deep Sea Collection
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Cathy Freeman
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An Australian household name, Cathy Freeman can be heralded as one of Australia’s greatest ever sportspeople. Cathy was the leader for athletics in Australia during the 1990s and at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, inspiring thousands of Australians to pursue the sport. Bursting onto the scene at 16 years of age, Cathy ran in the Commonwealth Games Selection Trial in Sydney in December 1989 and surprised everyone by tying Kath Sambell for third in the 100 metres in 11.42 to gain selection to the Australian team heading to Auckland, in which she won gold as part of the 4x100m relay team. As Cathy transitioned from junior to senior athletics, she made the move to longer distances, including the 200m and 400m in which she regularly went toe-to-toe with Melinda Gainsford Taylor. One of Australia’s great hopes for the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, Cathy came through with flying colours winning both 200 metres in 22.25 and the 400 metres in 50.38. Her lap of honour carrying both the Australian and Aboriginal flags brought censure from the ACGA but great support from the Australian public. |
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Anita Heiss
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Anita is an Ambassador of the GO Foundation, Worowa Aboriginal College and the Sydney Swans. She was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards. Anita is a Board Member of the University of QLD Press, Circa and the National Justice Project. In 2019, she was appointed a Professor of Communications at the University of QLD. When she's not teaching she is writing, public speaking, MCing and being a 'creative disruptor'. |
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Taliqua Clancy |
Taliqua Clancy is an Australian beach volleyballer and proud Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng woman from Kingaroy. She was the first Indigenous Australian volleyball player to represent Australia at the Olympics, competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2019 World Championships. |
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Ella Havelka |
Ella is a descendant of the Wiradjuri people and in 2013 became the first Aboriginal woman to join The Australian Ballet. Born in Dubbo, Ella graduated from The Australian Ballet School in 2007 and made her first appearance with Bangarra Dance Theatre in Fire – A Retrospective in 2009. She danced with Bangarra until 2012, appearing in Mathinna, of earth & sky, Belong, Spirit and Terrain. In 2012, Ella performed in Australia and New York with Bangarra and The Australian Ballet in Warumuk – in the dark night, a collaborative work created by Stephen Page for The Australian Ballet’s 50th anniversary celebrations. She joined The Australian Ballet in 2013.
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Cassie Puruntatameri |
Born in the Northern Territory’s Tiwi Islands (a remote community of less than 500 people), Cassie was scouted by Perina Drummond of Jira Models (all-Indigenous and –Torres Strait Islander modelling agency) after arriving in Melbourne in 2016. Come 2018, she would be walking barefoot in a sold-out show in Federation Square alongside two other newly-scouted Indigenous models. In 2021, she walked the runway for Liandra Swim and Kirrikin during Melbourne Fashion Week. |
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Sarsha Chisolm
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Sarsha solidified her modelling career when she starred in Myer’s Spring/Summer Campaign in 2020, cementing herself as one to watch in this space. She has since appeared in campaigns for Kmart, Bondi Sands and Rove. Speaking to Perth Now, she said is proud to be championing her rich heritage through her work, and hopes she can be a role model for aspiring Indigenous models.
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Dr. Rachel Farley
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Rachel Farrelly is set to become the first Indigenous female surgeon. Her journey was not easy and being a Gunu woman who was raised on Wiradjuri country, moving from a small rural community to a city university had its challenges. However, her dream of contributing positively to the health inequality in rural and regional NSW every day pushed her to where she is today. After graduating from University of Western Sydney, Dr Farrelly spent her intern and registrar years at several NSW hospitals. She will finish her doctor training at Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick and plans to specialise in hand and upper limb surgery.
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Billie-Jean Hamlet |
Billie-Jean grew up in Ngurturwarta, an Aboriginal community in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, and is now based in Bondi. She has fronted modelling campaigns for iconic Australian brands like Bec + Bridge, SIR The Label and Country Road. Her down-to-earth lifestyle and dedicated to wellness has seen her land her latest gig as an ambassador for Wanderlust Wellness — a brand which offers organic wellness supplements to promote holistic living. |
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Ash Barty |
Ash Barty (born 24 April 1996) is an Australian professional tennis player and former cricketer. She is ranked No. 1 in the world in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and is the second Australian WTA singles No. 1 after fellow Indigenous Australian player Evonne Goolagong Cawley. She is also a top 20 player in doubles, having achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world. Barty has won eight singles titles and ten doubles titles on the WTA Tour, including one Grand Slam singles title at the 2019 French Open and one Grand Slam doubles title at the 2018 US Open with partner CoCo Vandeweghe. She is also the reigning champion in singles at the WTA Finals.
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Samantha Harris
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Sam Harris is a name you've undoubtedly heard of, given her longstanding history in the modelling world. After winning the Girlfriend Magazine Covergirl at age 13, Sam quickly became one to watch. She went on to appear in a record number of shows during Australian Fashion Week in 2010 and was the second Indigenous model to grace the cover of Vogue at age 18. Her mother is a descendant of the Dunghutti tribe, and Sam has proudly embraced her Indigenous heritage, pushing for a greater celebration of Aboriginal culture. In 2021, she walked the runway and sat front row at the dedicated First Nations runways on Gadigal country during Australian Fashion Week 2021. She also partnered with the World Wildlife Fund on their Indigenous Ranger Management plan, working alongside hundreds of Indigenous female rangers on vital conservation efforts to preserve the integrity of our country's land. |