102 Messenger Birds were created by children in 3 Primary Schools in country Victoria. The Birds were gifts for the children who are involved in distance education in remote areas of Queensland. The Primary School children wrote little cheerful messages of hope which were tucked inside each Bird cut out of handmade felt. It was hoped that the Birds would inspire resilience after the difficult start to the school year when severe floods were experienced in remote parts of Queensland.
The participating Victorian Primary Schools also experienced adversity after the Black Saturday Bushfires of 2009. Strathewen Primary School and Middle Kinglake Primary School were completely destroyed. During Kinglake’s and Strathewen’s time of rebuilding and recovery, the children were the recipients of many gestures of kindness and generous gifts. The gestures of goodwill helped the children to build resilience. This project offered an opportunity to return the favour.