Eora Journey harbour walk storytelling report

This report provides the foundational storytelling framework for Yananurala, which extends the Eora Journey’s recognition of Aboriginal people, their history and culture through 9 projects along 9km of foreshore, from Pirrama (Pyrmont) to Wallamool (Woolloomooloo Bay).

Takeaways

The report recommends 9 cultural projects to be developed by the City of Sydney and harbour walk project partners.

1. Harbour walk naming and icon: Working with Aboriginal community members and with support from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, Yananurala was chosen as the new name for the harbour walk to embody the Aboriginal significance of the harbour and the foreshore.
2. Sitelines: Installations that frame and articulate the ‘sitelines’ along the harbour walk. Sitelines are relationships between sites of historical and cultural significance.
3. Conversations: Text-based installations that respond to the intimate, hidden stories of the harbour at locations along the foreshore.
4. Badu (water): An environmental project led by an artist in partnership with universities and marine institutes to build on research acknowledging Country as land, water and sky.
5. Site – Pirrama: A major public artwork next to the Australian National Maritime Museum to recognise the connection between Aboriginal people and the harbour.
6. Site – The Hungry Mile: A major public art and interpretation project recognising Aboriginal people’s role in shaping Sydney’s maritime history.
7. Site – Tara (Dawes Point): A major public art project that highlights the site where Patyegarang gifted the language of her people to William Dawes, recording it for future generations in his notebooks.
8. Site – The Boatshed: A public art project at Circular Quay linking Aboriginal history associated with the Government Boatshed to the resilience of Aboriginal communities in Sydney.
9. Site – Woolloomooloo: A collaborative community-based public art project that recognises the history and enduring presence and culture of Aboriginal people in Woolloomooloo.

Yananurala forms part of the City of Sydney’s Eora Journey: Recognition in the public domain program, a major program in Sustainable Sydney 2030–2050.