Sydney Desalination Plant at Kurnell is transforming a drab pipeline at Tempe into a First Nations-inspired artwork.
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Two female artists have been commissioned to paint the 800 metre long pipeline that runs alongside a popular pedestrian/cycle track that is situated alongside the Alexandria Canal and Airport Drive, opposite Sydney Airport.
The pipeline transports 250 million litres of desalinated drinking water from Kurnell to Sydney Water's supply network at Erskineville for distribution to homes and businesses.
Given its location, the section of pipeline that is being painted will be seen by thousands of motorists. The entire area also falls within the NSW Transport Department's Gateway project that is focused on improving the roads around the airport.
The colourful project was designed by Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi, Gamilaraay) and Carmen Glynn-Braun (Kaytetye, Anmatyerr, and Arrernte), co-founders of the First Nations artistic collective Re-Right.
Mr Golding and Ms Glynn-Braun work with communities in the area to create public artworks that honour First Nations' culture and experiences. Their previous projects include the design of light projections 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.
Artists Jo Breneger and Leia Sidery from Indigo Jo, a bespoke signage and muralist company, began painting the mural's design in late March and are expected to finished the massive project by June.
Young First Nations artists Dakota Dixon-Campbell and Wirrin Lowe advised on some of the artwork's key elements and icons, including the local shellfish found in the Cooks River and Alexandra Canal and wattles growing in the area.
The design will be based on key elements from the surrounding land and sea waters of the Bidjigal, Gadigal, and Dharawal clans, and will include images of seagulls, oysters, and wattles.
A key inspiration for the artwork was the shape of the boomerang, a significant cultural object made from mangrove trees, which are abundant in the pipeline's area. The bend of the boomerang inspired the artists to create a key pattern of two waterways that reference the coastline and rivers where the pipeline is connected.
"The design celebrates the stories, traditions and knowledge of the local lands and waters," Mr Golding said. "It is important to truthfully share these stories and uncover past histories through the lens and voices of the community."
"We wanted to support young and up-and-coming artists to ensure generational storytelling within the project," Ms Glynn-Braun said.
"We took Dakota and Wirrin to the pipeline, and they picked out different motifs for our design that were significant in the local area's stories. From there, we laid it out to continue this pattern of a coastline from a topographical lens so that it would seem as though people walking or cycling past are exploring the country from one end of the pipeline to the other."
Sydney Desalination Plant Chief Executive Phil Narezzi said it was committed to sustainability, community and cultural diversity.
"This mural not only enhances the landscape of the local area but also serves as a tribute to the rich culture and traditions of Australia's First Nations communities. Through this collaboration with Re-Right and the talented young First Nations artists involved, we are not just delivering drinking water but a message of cultural preservation and unity," he said.
