Salisbury Community Hub Artwork

Description:

For thousands of years, Kaurna people have lived in and travelled across the landscape within the City of Salisbury. Up to and around the time of colonisation, Kaurna people moved camps in accordance with the seasons. This holistic way of life gave the camps a chance to regenerate before they returned to it the following season.

The tree-lined waterways of Dry Creek, Little Para River and Cobbler’s Creek wind their way through the landscape and eventually drain amongst the mangrove forests along the Gulf St Vincent coastline. Along the western edge of the city are some burial mound sites of Kaurna Ancestors. These places have always been highly significant cultural sites for all Kaurna people and will continue to be for a very long time.

A rare phenomenon within the city are the vernal pools, just south of Parafield Airport. These ephemeral ponds provide habitat for significant flora and breeding habitat for fauna. They were a good source of fresh water for Kaurna people in the cooler months. The ibis flies around Green Fields Wetland, while emu and kangaroo have come into the area foraging for food. The Kaurna shield or Murlapaka is a cultural icon of all Kaurna people. Its inclusion states that this artwork is of Kaurna Country, People and Culture.