Walks and rides

Yananurala – Walking on Country

Yananurala extends the Eora Journey’s recognition of Aboriginal people, their history and culture along 9km of foreshore, from Pirrama (Pyrmont) to Wallamool (Woolloomooloo Bay).

Related to City Art
Circular QuayDarling HarbourBarangarooWoolloomoolooAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
A waterfront scene with a wooden pier extending into calm blue waters. A tall information sign stands in the foreground. In the background the Australian Maritime Museum and modern buildings create an urban backdrop under a clear sky.
“Yananurala is marked by sitelines, places that contain and interconnect the stories, memories and histories of this Country. These are the veins of Sydney, a living and breathing place.”

– Emily McDaniel, curator

Yananurala combines 2 Gadigal words, yana (walk) and nura (Country). The ‘la’ adds an instruction, encouraging people to go walking on Country.

The phrase ‘Yanala ngarala gadinurada. Yururala, yana yuramirung’ invites you to experience Gadigal Country through all your senses – ‘Walk, think, listen, hear on Gadi Country. Feel it strongly, walk with us.’

Yananurala extends the Eora Journey’s recognition of Aboriginal people, their history and culture across Sydney’s harbour foreshore, from Pirrama (Pyrmont) to Wallamool (Woolloomooloo Bay).

A tall marble curved monument sits on the Tarpeain precinct lawn of the Botanic Gardens. Smartphone mockup shows a map of Sydney on the right. Sun sets behind Sydney harbour and bridge in the background.

Find Yananurala on Sydney Culture Walks

Discover the Sydney Harbour foreshore in a curated series of Aboriginal stories.

Future Yananurala projects

  • Sitelines and Conversations – a combined project highlighting the relationship between sites of historical and cultural significance and the intimate, hidden histories of the harbour
  • 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
  • Pirrama (Pyrmont) – a public artwork next to the Australian Maritime Museum to recognise the connection between Aboriginal people and the harbour
  • The Hungry Mile – a major public art and interpretation project recognising Aboriginal people’s role in shaping Sydney’s maritime history
  • 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
  • The Boatshed – a public art project linking Aboriginal history associated with the Government Boatshed to the resilience of Aboriginal communities in Sydney
  • Woolloomooloo – a community-based public art project that recognises the history and enduring presence and culture of Aboriginal people
A dark-themed map showing the Yananurala route from Woolloomooloo around the Sydney Harbour foreshore to Pirrama. It features locations such as Barangaroo, Tumbalong Darling Harbour, Tara, bara, Yurong, Wugamamgulya, Woolloomooloo, and Bayinguwa. Dotted lines connect some locations as sitelines across bays of the harbour.
A scenic view from Barangaroo at the shoreline which meets the harbour with sandstone rocks and greenery, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background across the water with buildings in North Sydney on the opposite shore.
Scenic view from the rocky shores of Mrs Macquaries Point across the harbour to Bennelong Point where the Sydney Opera House is located, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and city buildings in the background.
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Project partners

Yananurala is part of the Eora Journey and is being developed in partnership with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, NSW Government project partners, cultural institutions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, with guidance from our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel.

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A marble, fish hook shaped sculpture on a grass lawn. People in blue dresses dance in a ring around it.Cultural support & fundingEora Journey: Recognition in the public domain
A bronze fountain sculpture resembling two oversized bangala, baskets for carrying water made from palm fronds. They are in a rocky area surrounded by foliage, and there is a paved area with umbrellas in the background.City Art
Cover image detail of George Peacock's 1845 historical painting of Customs House and the Circular Wharf. Image from the Dixson Galleries, State Library of New South Wales.HistoryHistory walksPublished 23 April 2018