Yuku Purlaityi

Description:

Set on the banks of the Onkaparinga River at Noarlunga Downs, SA: a local estuarine environment was transformed from a series of treated SA Water wastewater sludge lagoons into a thriving wetland sanctuary. An outcome of the extensive consultation and engagement with the local community, environmental groups and the council was to recognise the importance of the estuary with cultural markers of the local Kaurna people and their neighbours the Ramindjeri people.

With a combination of corten steel, mild steel, stainless steel and concrete. The works installed by mantirridesign in 2016, included two seats in the stylised forms of traditional bark canoes (yuku purlaityi - two canoes) with fishing spears that were turned upside down and used as punting poles to glide the canoes across the water. The tops of the canoes are decorated with a series of cultural icons that connect Aboriginal culture to Country. Radiating out from the base of the spears are important stories of the environment past, present and future. The stories reflect a timeline of how the local environment has changed over time as well as share stories and connections to the Aboriginal way of life of the local area.