Ms Gilson, from Ballarat, claimed the $5000 award with her large-scale painting titled Bunjil’s Final Resting Place, Race Meeting at Lal Lal Falls. 

Ms Gilson is a descendant of King Billy, an Aboriginal Elder of the Ballarat region at the time of the Eureka Stockade and only took took up painting 10 years ago. 

Her work seeks to share Aboriginal culture and history and encourage the younger generation to keep stories alive through their own art.

“I was stunned, actually (to win),” Ms Gilson said.

“It was my third time in it and just to get in it was an honour. To get the People’s Choice, I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me.”

Bunjil’s Final Resting Place, Race Meeting at Lal Lal depicts life in the early 1900s for Ms Gilson’s ancestors and early European settlers in the township of Lal Lal.

Ms Gilson’s winning work is currently on show at the Art Gallery of Ballarat as part of the 2015 Victorian Indigenous Art Awards exhibition.

The exhibition showcases the diversity of Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and features more than 40 artworks ranging from contemporary sculpture to traditional crafts.

Ms Gilson is also showcasing her work in Melbourne’s Federation Square on the weekend for the 30th Birthday of the Koori Heritage Trust.

Her works will also be exhibited at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka from September 26.

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said Ms Gilson was a “fitting” winner of the People’s Choice award.

“When the Bracks Labor government established the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards in 2005, Marlene Gilson was just teaching herself to paint,” Mr Foley said.

“I can’t think of a more fitting way to round out the 10th anniversary year than for the Andrews government to see Marlene - now a recognised artist - take out the People’s Choice Award for this stunning and deeply spiritual work.”