Leonard Andy, Djiru Traditional owner and artist, designed the MBHS logo.

The highlights of the composition are a Djiru shield, a cassowary and saltwater country.

• Bigin, the rainforest shield, was made from the buttress roots of the Slippery Blue fig tree, Ficus albipila and also the Milky Pine, Alstenia schlaris – bubadilla *

The makers were careful not to mortally damage the tree and the scars of many generations of shield making can still be seen on some old trees. The shield was used as a protection. Because of the lightness of the wood and the crossed fibres, it could be carried with 2 fingers and spears were getting caught in the timber without piercing it. The raised centre at the front of the shield is the sickest part to protect the hand holding it. At the back is a carved handle to carry the shield. The fighting style was based on the Willie Wagtail - rapid changes in directions and constant movement.

Each tribal group has unique symbolised geometrical designs.

The 4 colours used to paint / decorate the shield are traditional tribal ochres. Ochre is a type of coloured clay collected by Djiru for use in body painting and rock art, and for decorating wooden tools. Ochres are most commonly white, red and yellow oxides.

• • • Ochres:
      • Magera, yellow
      • Gunggu, red – the yellow ochre was cooked in the fire to make the colour change.

• • • Black:
      • Jillan, black charcoal applied with wallaby blood to stick.

• • • White:
      • Gaba, white clay.

Djiru and Gulnay have nearly similar geometrical designs.

	Shield Tree © L. Andy 2000

• Gunduy, the cassowary, is an endangered, iconic, flightless bird living in tropical North Queensland rainforests and a significant animal, culturally and spiritually, for the Djiru.

Occasionally, it was used as food - eaten at a certain stage of development (when the juvenile cassowary was starting to get black feathers on top of its back). Gunduy was only hunted at a certain time and if a cassowary was killed, the meat was shared amongst the whole group.

• The bottom part of the logo symbolises the beach and the saltwater.

*Wabu jananyu – cultural plant use by the Girringun aboriginal tribal groups of north QLD. 2013, Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, p.19.