The 19-year-old Aboriginal duo, Thalia Uilelea and Oliva Clark, designed Queanbeyan's first Indigenous netball uniform.

"It was a long time coming for Queanbeyan to get an Indigenous uniform and it took us a while, but we're so glad that it's happening now," Wiradjuri woman Ms Uilelea said.

The two-year process started with Belinda Holmes, a division one netballer who spoke with the Queanbeyan Netball Association after continuously fighting for an Indigenous uniform for years.

"Every year we go to the Indigenous round," Ms Uilelea said.

"We're two out of three Indigenous athletes in the competition, so when we show up without an Indigenous uniform to represent our culture, it's a bit disheartening."

After getting the men's and women's uniform approved, Ms Holmes passed the idea to the young women and they began designing in winter, 2019.

Once they sent them off for manufacturing, Covid hit and delayed the process.

"Covid happened, netball shut down, and we didn't know if we were going to play at all, and there wasn't an Indigenous round that year," Ms Uilelea said.

When sports resumed, the girls became excited to finally receive their Indigenous uniforms with their artwork printed on them.

"There's a river on it, representing the Queanbeyan River and a platypus, which is the mascot of the association, but also a treasured animal within the Ngambri and Ngunnawal people," she said.

"There's also some Bogong moths on there which are traditional animals, but were used as a food source by the ancestors to keep them strong, nourished and healthy, so they're on the dress to give us strength."

The women then contacted their former netball mentor Esmer Livermore for guidance during the design process, to ensure they were on the right track; she loved the design and didn't change a thing.

"I'm so proud of these beautiful young Aboriginal women who are leaders on and off the court," Ms Livermore said.

"It's exciting to see QNA supporting these two talented ladies and allowing them to share and embrace their cultures within their club."

On Friday, Ms Uilelea and Ms Clark will be competing with Division One, the under-19s and the men's netball teams at the Indigenous rounds competition. They will be proudly wearing their new uniform.

Ms Uilelea said: "We're really excited to see first nations culture be represented in netball and with everyone wearing the uniforms, it sets a legacy for younger Indigenous people."

Ms Clark, a Kamilaroi woman, said: "Right now, the uniform is only for the Indigenous rounds, but we hope in the future that it will be part of the normal uniform.

"It's just amazing that we finally have something that represents the culture we're playing for and the Ngambri people and we're just proud to represent our culture and share it with the whole team."

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