Indigenous Mural Honours Local Stories and Traditions

Work has begun on a colourful revamp of an above-ground section of the 18-kilometre pipeline that delivers drinking water from Sydney Desalination Plant into the Sydney Water supply network.

Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi, Gamilaraay) and Carmen Glynn-Braun (Kaytetye, Anmatyerr and Arrernte), who are co-founders of the Indigenous artistic collective Re-Right, worked closely with the local community and elders to come up with a mural design for the 800m stretch of pipeline that runs alongside Airport Drive and Alexandra Canal at Tempe.

Dennis and Carmen said the design is based on key elements from the local land and seawaters that are home to the Bidjigal, Gadigal and Dharawal people.

“It celebrates the stories, traditions and knowledge of local lands and waters,” Golding said.
“It is important to truthfully share these stories and uncover past histories through the lens and voices of the community.”

Both artists have worked on numerous public artworks across Sydney that honour Aboriginal culture and experiences, including designs projected on the pylons of the Harbour Bridge for Sydney’s 2022 New Year’s Eve Fireworks and artwork on the roadways and earth mounds of the Sydney Gateway in 2021.

Young Aboriginal artists Dakota Dixon-Campbell and Wirrin Lowe have advised on key icons and imagery for the mural, such as local shellfish that can be found in the Cooks River and Alexandra Canal, and wattles that bloom across the shores of the local area.

“We wanted to support young and up-and-coming artists to ensure generational storytelling within the project,” Glynn-Braun said.

“We took them to the pipeline, and they picked out different motifs for our design that were significant in the local area’s stories, such as seagulls, oysters, and wattles.

“From there, we laid it out to continue this pattern of a coastline from a topographical lens so that it would seem as though you are exploring country from one end of the pipeline to the other.”

A key inspiration for the mural’s design was the shape of the boomerang, a significant cultural object made from the bend of mangrove trees like those found near the pipeline.

The bend of the boomerang inspired the artists to create a key pattern of two waterways that references the coastline and rivers to which the pipeline is connected.

The initial phase of the mural project began at the start of March 2024, with the cleaning of the pipeline’s exterior.
Artists Jo Breneger and Leia Sidery from Indigo Jo, a bespoke signage and muralist company, began painting the mural design in late March 2024, with the entire project expected to be completed in June 2024.

The pipeline transports up to 250 million litres of desalinated drinking water – the equivalent of more than 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools – every day from the Plant at Kurnell to Sydney Water’s Erskineville supply network.

“This initiative is all about honouring and celebrating the rich stories and traditions of Australia’s Aboriginal communities,” SDP’s Chief Executive Officer Phil Narezzi said.

“It’s more than just a mural – it’s a meaningful expression of our deep respect and partnership with the Indigenous peoples of this land. We can’t wait to see this vibrant artwork come to life, and we’re proud to be a part of it.”