Uncle Danny Eastwood began his art as a child growing up in and around Sydney during the 1950s, discovering he had an "imagination that sees things all the time".
For him, it was a way to feel visible as a shy Aboriginal boy in the city.
"My head was always down, looking at the ground," he said.
"Aboriginal people weren't to be seen, there was a lot of racism or people looked down at you."
The Ngemba man, originally from Brewarrina in NSW's far west, is a widely celebrated and self-taught artist, now living in Blacktown.
As he approaches 80, he shows no signs of slowing.
He's about to launch his first solo exhibition in decades — a culmination of 40 years of new and old works — from iconic cartoons in Indigenous newspaper Koori Mail to his thought-provoking sculptures.
His work tells the story of Aboriginal Australia through past injustices to issues facing contemporary First Nations people.
Despite years of "truth-telling", Uncle Danny feels many people are still not listening and hopes an Indigenous Voice to Parliament can change that.
"It can help our community because at the moment we're treated like second and third-rate citizens, there's no doubt about it," he said.
"The Voice will educate the rest of Australia about early settlement and the cruelty that has happened ... how many know about the massacres?
"The Voice is saying we need housing, we need health, we need all these things to take care of because we have 60,000 years of knowledge about our people."
The Voice would be a permanent body in Parliament, representing First Nations people on policies that affect their lives.
Last week the official yes campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament was launched in South Australia.
It coincided with a national week of action kicked off by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who has vowed to go ahead with a referendum by the end of the year.
Son Jamie, who is curating Uncle Danny's exhibition at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre, said the Voice could play a part in the healing journey for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
"We've seen organisations abolished in the past, they're gone, but to have it endorsed at the referendum and in our constitution, it can't be taken away," he said.
"I know there's a long way to go — there's contention in the community — but let's get the Voice up there first then work out the nuts and bolts... once it is I'd like grassroots people to come together and talk for their own country.
"I have uncles and aunties that were taken away and some never found their families... to acknowledge these things and telling the truth it's healing."
The Inner West Council is recruiting 1,000 volunteers to build awareness and encourage others to vote yes at the referendum.
"No-one over 60 has voted in a successful referendum, and no-one under 40 has ever voted in a referendum... through this grassroots method we can make sure Australians are properly informed when it gets to referendum day," Mayor Darcy Byrne said.
Almost 40 mayors from across the country have pledged their support so far.
But further west, in Richmond, there is uncertainty about how the Voice will work.
Melissa Stubbings — a Darug woman and manager of the Merana Aboriginal Community Association — has questions.
"How is it going to be structured? Who is going to be elected? How are they going to be elected?" she said.
"There's up to 300-500 different nations across Australia of Aboriginal people. How are we all going to be represented?"
Her organisation in Western Sydney provides multiple services including outreach, youth and aged care and health and wellbeing for the local Indigenous community.
It's mostly funded by donations.
"It's a constant struggle," she said.
Ms Stubbings wonders how a Voice will help the critical services she runs in a region that is home to one of the country's largest Indigenous populations.
According to the latest Census, more than 2 per cent of residents in Western Sydney identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
She said it was critical such a body has genuine representation.
"It needs to be people who really understand what's happening on the ground, are working on the ground, are talking to people who are then going to give their voice to parliament," she said.
"[They] really need be prepared to stand up, be prepared to take the flak, be prepared to fight, advocate loudly because we haven't had that yet."
Gamilaroi elder Danny Trindall — who utilises the Merana Aboriginal Community Centre — also wants more information.
"I need to know like everyone else ... no good telling us a couple months before because we need to make up our minds about it," he said.
"They need to let us know whether the Voice will be for the people or a voice for them to play around with."
It's a similar sentiment felt by Darug elder Andrew Pyle saying he understands the "point" but is after more detail.
"It's so needed in this country, but it's misunderstood," he said.
"It's just like it's on hold the information and it's not flowing where it should... [but] we could all work together and make everyone understand what that's about and what we're about.
"Our people have been downtrodden, this is a way forward that we need as a people.
"I think it will unite because we're one great country."
