Aboriginal Art Co hosted its monthly Footsteps: First Nations Art Tour in South Brisbane on Wednesday.

Facilitiated by Gamilaroi woman Rachel Bywaters, the tour introduced participants to Indigenous public artworks and shared stories of local history and culture.

The tour started at Aboriginal Art Co, a not-for-profit Aboriginal art gallery, and covered around 400 metres through the Fish Lane precinct.

Attendees stopped at several locations to learn about significant artworks and the Indigenous perspectives behind them.

The tour lasted approximately 75 minutes and finished back at the gallery, where participants could explore more First Nations art.

Ms Bywaters said the tour highlighted the presence of Aboriginal culture in an urban setting.

"Even though we're in a really urban setting and there's lots of concrete around, it's important to remember this always was and always will be Aboriginal land," she said.

One of the featured artists was Larrakia woman Jenna Lee, whose works were displayed in the Fish Lane Vitrines as part of the World Science Festival Brisbane.

Her pieces explore language reclamation and the impact of colonial linguicide.

Ms Lee repurposed pages from Aboriginal Words and Place Names, a book that presents Indigenous words without connection to people or place, and transformed them into woven grass tree sculptures.

She also used burnt book remnants as pigment, representing the resilience of First Nations languages.

Another key artwork was Marumba Kittibilla by Gamilaroi artist Warraba Weatherall and Daniel Jones.

The large-scale piece in Fish Lane features willy wagtails, a flowering kurrajong tree, and a stingless bee.

The title combines Yuggera words from Gaja (Aunty) Kerry Charlton, with "marumba" meaning "good" and "kittibilla" meaning "day," offering a welcoming message to visitors.

Ms Bywaters said these works connect South Brisbane's present-day laneways to its Indigenous past.

"This whole area is known as Kurilpa, meaning 'place of the water rat,' and traditionally was a site of gathering and exchange," she said.

The Timeline was another stop on the tour.

This public artwork weaves together Indigenous and non-Indigenous history of South Brisbane, with poetry by Mununjali writer Ellen van Neerven.

It tracks significant moments from European settlement in 1820 to the opening of Town Square in 2020.

The tour also highlighted Bloodlines Weaving String and Water by Waanyi artist Judy Watson.

Installed in 2023 on the facade of Upper House, the 29-metre artwork represents Aboriginal pathways along the Brisbane River.

Ms Watson describes the work as capturing the scarification of the river's surface, shaped by the movement of people, vessels, and time.

The artwork uses metal cut-outs to evoke the shifting water and light, acknowledging both ancestral and contemporary journeys along the river.

Yugambeh and Yuggera woman Aunty Roma, who attended the tour, said it gave her a new appreciation for Aboriginal art in the city.

"I came today because, even though I'm from here, I didn't know much about the art installations," she said.

"It's important to showcase different styles of Aboriginal art in one place because each piece reflects unique cultural stories."

Ms Bywaters encouraged people to engage with First Nations art and artists.

"Supporting First Nations art means coming along to walking tours, following contemporary artists, and engaging with local exhibitions," she said.

The Footsteps: First Nations Art Tour runs on the last Wednesday of every month.