Dilly Bag Collective

Dilly Bag Collective Dillybag Collective supports indigenous artists and wellness programs from remote communities.

The Colour Story is about more than the finished work. It’s about time spent together - gathering materials, sharing kno...
29/05/2026

The Colour Story is about more than the finished work. It’s about time spent together - gathering materials, sharing knowledge, teaching younger generations and creating space for creativity. Through weaving, dyeing, photography and painting, the program supports cultural practice while also creating opportunities for income and independence.

Some of The Colour Story artworks are on show at the Dillybag Collective Gallery in Margaret River, returning proceeds back into community and ensuring the program can continue to grow.



Some of The Colour Story artworks are on show at the Dillybag Collective Gallery in Margaret River, returning proceeds back into the community and ensuring the program can continue to grow.

Colour here is gathered; roots are dug from the earth, leaves and bark are collected from the trees, berries are harvest...
20/05/2026

Colour here is gathered; roots are dug from the earth, leaves and bark are collected from the trees, berries are harvested and crushed. Everything is boiled over fire, slowly releasing colour into water before fibres are added and left to absorb it.

Each tone - ochre, yellow, pinks and purples, deep earth - comes directly from Country. These dyes are then used to colour fibres for weaving, or applied to silk, textiles and canvas. Every piece carries the process within it - from gathering, to making, to sharing.



Photography by Freedom Garvey Photographer

The Colour Story is shaped by many influences. For Kellie, it started early, growing up watching her grandmother work wi...
13/05/2026

The Colour Story is shaped by many influences. For Kellie, it started early, growing up watching her grandmother work with natural dyes and textiles. Years later, while working in remote communities in the Northern Territory, that early connection to colour found new meaning.

Spending time with women in community, learning how fibres are prepared and bush dyes are created, the connection between process, place and culture became clear. The Colour Story grew from there, shaped through shared knowledge, trust and time in community.



Photography by Freedom Garvey Photographer

Led by Kellie Gherardi in collaboration with women from Nganambala, Merrepen, Nemarluk and Wudicuplyderr, The Colour Sto...
04/05/2026

Led by Kellie Gherardi in collaboration with women from Nganambala, Merrepen, Nemarluk and Wudicuplyderr, The Colour Story program brings together women and young people to share knowledge, build skills and create pathways through art.

It begins across the homelands of Nganambala, Merrepen, Nemarluk and Wudicuplyderr, where women gather roots, bark, leaves and berries - each chosen for the colour it holds. These natural elements are prepared and boiled over fire, creating dyes that reflect the landscape they come from. Traditionally used for weaving dillybags, fish traps and sun mats, this knowledge continues today, while also extending into textiles, painting and photography. Each artist interprets the process in their own way - creating both continuity and evolution.

The Colour Story supports cultural practice, strengthens connection to Country and creates opportunities for income through creative work.



Photography by Freedom Garvey Photographer

There are two parts to what we do at Dillybag Collective.The first is the gallery - based here in Margaret River - where...
30/04/2026

There are two parts to what we do at Dillybag Collective.

The first is the gallery - based here in Margaret River - where we showcase and sell artworks from First Nations artists across the West Daly Region and beyond. You’ll also find works from Warlurlangu Artists, Kira Kiro Artists, the Wadeye Men’s Shed, alongside books from Indigenous authors (Magabala Books) books and bush balms from the Purple House.

The second is The Colour Story - a wellness-based art program run in the Northern Territory.

While Dillybag Collective operates as a gallery, every sale plays a much bigger role. Profits are directed back into health and wellness initiatives - supporting artists, funding workshops, covering travel, materials, food and fuel in community.

Two parts, with one purpose - supporting culture, creativity and community.

Photography by

Dillybag Collective began through connection. After years working in remote communities as a nurse, Kellie Gherardi saw ...
23/04/2026

Dillybag Collective began through connection. After years working in remote communities as a nurse, Kellie Gherardi saw firsthand the lack of access to wellness programs - and the strength that cultural practices like weaving and bush dyeing brought to community.

What started as time spent sitting, learning and sharing has grown into a program that supports artists across the West Daly Region.

Today, Dillybag Collective operates as a gallery in Margaret River - with every sale contributing back to the communities that inspired it.

Photography by

The West Daly Region is one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged regions in Australia. But it is also rich in cu...
15/04/2026

The West Daly Region is one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged regions in Australia. But it is also rich in culture, knowledge and creative practice.

The Colour Story exists to support this - providing access to art materials, workshops, mentoring and opportunities to generate income through creative work.

Dillybag Collective helps sustain this model - returning proceeds back into community and ensuring the program can continue to grow.

This is long-term, community-led impact, built through creativity.

Photography by

Every piece purchased through Dillybag Collective carries impact far beyond the gallery walls.Proceeds are returned dire...
07/04/2026

Every piece purchased through Dillybag Collective carries impact far beyond the gallery walls.

Proceeds are returned directly into community - supporting programs like The Colour Story, funding art workshops, enabling artists to travel, and covering essential costs like materials, food and fuel.

Over time, support has also extended to initiatives including fundraising for NGO Health Clinics, Community art program paintings for the Kalumbaru Store and Health Clinic, Donations to Aussie Dessert Dogs, AMRRIC (Indigenous dog health) and the Wirnan Foundation.

It’s a simple model, but a powerful one - it's art that gives back in real, tangible ways. When you purchase something from the Dillybag Collective Gallery at Mr Barval Cellar Door, you're directly making an impact on these communities.



Photography by

One of the most rewarding parts of our trips to the West Daly Region is putting cameras into the hands of local kids.As ...
30/03/2026

One of the most rewarding parts of our trips to the West Daly Region is putting cameras into the hands of local kids.

As part of the The Colour Story workshops, runs photography sessions that give young people the chance to document their own lives, families and Country - all captured from their perspective.

Access to creative resources in remote communities can be limited, so providing cameras and running workshops is all about building confidence, skills and pride in storytelling. It also opens up real pathways, with selected works exhibited and sold through the Dillybag Collective Gallery at Mr Barval and online. And, of course, all proceeds return to artists and support ongoing wellness programs.

Photography by and the kids!

In the West Daly Region, the landscape is not just backdrop - it is teacher, provider and storyholder. Spring water casc...
25/03/2026

In the West Daly Region, the landscape is not just backdrop - it is teacher, provider and storyholder. Spring water cascades down cliffs under wide northern skies. Eucalypt and Corymbia trees lean toward a calm pool. Red dirt warms beneath bare feet. At sunset, the light turns everything golden.

When you see the deep ochres, the smoky greys, the soft bush yellows in the artworks, you are seeing this landscape - distilled and honoured.

The Colour Story Program exists to support these cultural practices, and every artwork carries this place within it.

Available online and at the Dillybag Collective Gallery, located at Mr Barval Cellar Door.

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Address

Lot 7087 Caves Road
Margaret River, WA
6285

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 5pm
Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+61478589790

Website

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