But having his work selected to be part of the Encounters exhibition wasn’t the only surprise in store for Mr Wellington.

When Prince Charles and Camilla paid a visit to Australia in November the museum was at the top of the royal couple's itinerary. 

Five pieces of art from around 100 were selected to be presented to the Prince on a private tour before Encounters opened to the public. Mr Wellington’s was one of them.

Mr Wellington said he felt proud to meet Charles and tell him about his artwork, but he wished he could tell his mother who loved the royal family.

“It was an eye opener. It’s not every day anyone gets the opportunity to meet someone like that, especially when you’re Aboriginal and from the South Coast,” he said.

The artwork is a carved log which Mr Wellington said represents the ancient Aboriginal technique of tree-scarring recorded by a British explorer near Coolangatta Mountain in colonial times.

A canoe has been carved into the log, surrounded by fish.

Mr Wellington created it to represent the story his grandfather recorded with the National Archives of Australia in 1964.

“He told the story of Bundoola, the king of the sea,” he said

“It only reflects a part of that story and it also reminds me of my grandfather when he would go out in his canoe and spear the fish for the family.” 

When Mr Wellington spoke to Charles presented him with a gift to remember the South Coast Indigenous people by.

He gave him a book about Cullunghutti’s (Coolangatta Mountain) history and its cultural and spiritual significance to the Aboriginal people.

“I basically said to him [Charles], ‘Now you have to promise me one thing’, he smiled and said ‘what’s that?’ ‘Every now and then you have to look at it,” Mr Wellington said.

Prince Charles said he would.

Encounters is on display at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra until March 28.