Jess Mauboy always wanted to be a mum. She didn't expect the way it changed her.

Jessica Mauboy's recent performance at Uluru marked a deeply emotional milestone for the 35-year-old singer. Standing before the sacred site that has been central to Indigenous culture for thousands of years, Jess experienced the moment through a profoundly different lens — that of a new mother.

Having welcomed daughter Mia with her husband Themeli Magripilis earlier this year, Jess found herself experiencing the sacred site with heightened emotions; her connection to the ancient landscape now intertwined with her dreams for her daughter.

The Darwin-born artist's connection to Country has always been a cornerstone of her identity, but motherhood has only deepened this relationship. For Jess, performing at Uluru wasn't simply a concert — it represented a powerful intersection of her heritage, her artistry, and her newest role as a mother.

The event also marked her first major performance since giving birth, a return to the stage that felt symbolic of the strength she's discovered in motherhood.

Watch: Jessica Mauboy performs at Eurovision. Post continues after video.

In an interview with Mamamia, Jess spoke about what returning to this significant location meant to her at this point in her life and career.

"It's such a magical place, first of all," Jess told Mamamia. "It holds such significance due to the history and the marking of a place that belongs to the community and people that live there and still dream."

Jess explored Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park as part of an Imagine Holidays curated package, with the guidance of Traditional Owners. For Jess, who first visited at age 11 with her family, returning felt like a spiritual homecoming.

"Returning feels like going home. It feels like my spirit is where I long to be," she said. "It grounds me and gives me more knowledge of our country, of our land. It's one of the most amazing places, and to get that opportunity… I just feel complete in a way and grounded."

Having performed on countless stages around the world throughout her 15-year career, Jess was unequivocal about what makes performing at Uluru incomparable to any other venue around the world.

"Nothing compares. Literally nothing compares to a place like Uluru," she insisted. "When I sing there, I feel like I'm being lifted. I feel very honoured to the land and to the people… the energy of the country."

Image: Supplied

"You go out to a place like that, and you just feel like you're being sung to because the wind is just like music. It's brushing through you, caressing you and kind of nurturing and cuddling you," she told us.

But Jess' recent visit to Uluru felt even more special because of her newest and perhaps most meaningful role — motherhood. Jess described the experience of welcoming her daughter Mia into the world as "transformative".

"I've always wanted to be a mum," Jess shared with warmth.

"She has transformed me and I thank her so much," Jess said. "I think it's instilled more of a magic into my music, so much more to love — the softness, the strength that I didn't even know I had."

The singer admits she didn't realise how much it would transform her as a performer.

"I thought I loved music then. I love music even more because I get to share that experience with her really closely," she added.

Performing at Uluru as a new mother held a special significance for Jess, representing a full-circle moment in both her life and career.

"It's been probably one of the most meaningful moments of my career," she reflected. "Not only for myself again and again, but for Mia. So holding space for her and becoming a mum, it's given me a lot of deep reflection on how I sing and who I'm singing to and to really enjoy it."

Image: Supplied.

During her visit, Jess experienced the new female-centered Sunrise Journeys at Uluru, an immersive Indigenous experience that depicts a uniquely female perspective of connection to Country. As an Indigenous woman and artist, this experience resonated deeply with her own understanding of women's cultural roles.

"It was a really defining moment for me and relearning and being reminded how important and how sacred it is," she explained. "We always hear about men's business, but I think particularly women's business is sacred."

The separation of men's and women's cultural business in First Nations traditions is something Jess respected throughout her life.

"Men don't know what the women do, and the women don't know what the men do," she noted. "I've been really instilled that since I was young. When I am with my women, I share, and I love that I can have the ability to do that and not feel embarrassed."

Jess hoped that her performance at such a significant cultural site would send a powerful message to the young Indigenous women and girls who look up to her.

"I hope it sends a sense of their strength and their ability to dream big and not to think small," she said passionately. "For those who need that strength or encouragement to do it — I encourage you to do it. I encourage you to get out there and do what you've always wanted to do."

Image: Supplied.

Reflecting on her own journey as an artist, Jess acknowledged the role of the strong women around her — through their belief and support — played in her success.

"I had really strong women around me who saw my ability to sing and make music, more than I did, really. As that was always continuously encouraged, I loved it and grew more with it," she said.

As Jess continues to navigate this new chapter of her life, navigating motherhood with her music career, her connection to country and culture remains a grounding force — one that she now has the privilege of sharing with her daughter, creating a legacy that extends far beyond the notes of her songs.

Feature Image: Supplied.