Published on Jul 15, 2021
Sharing culture: Local Indigenous artists Amanda Westley, Kyla McHughes, Kevin Kropinyeri and Cedric Varcoe preview a shark etching.
Portions of Indigenous artwork which will adorn the new Granite Island Causeway were unveiled as part of a special ceremony at the weekend, coinciding with NAIDOC week.
A group of local Indigenous artists have been hard at work, planning and perfecting the imagery which depicts animals and Dreamtime Stories from the Fleurieu region.
The artwork has been sandblasted into the under-development concrete causeway and will adorn various sections of the $43 million structure.
The Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri etchings depict local animals including sharks (pictured) and explore two Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri Dreaming Stories: Kondoli Dreaming and Ngurunderi Dreaming.
In total, 11 creation story characters, 18 clan motifs and 650 metres of ribbon motif will feature on the causeway as part of what will be the longest piece of Aboriginal art in Australia.
Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation CEO Tim Hartman described the artwork as a "legacy piece" and praised the process and teamwork of those involved.
"This is something I'll be able to tell my kids and grand-kids we all did together," Mr Hartman said.
"When you are on Ngarrindjeri Country we want you to see and experience things through the eyes of Ngarrindjeri and this type of project enables that to occur.
"Future visitors to the site are going to have an experience, they will remember that, have an emotional connection to country and appreciate and see the landscape through the eyes of Ngarrindjeri."
The project follows an extensive concept design phase and collaboration between a number of individuals and groups including the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, McConnell Dowell and Cox Architecture.
The five local, Indigenous artists who worked to create the Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri artwork are: Cedric Varcoe, Amanda Westley, Kyla McHughes, Kevin Kropinyeri and Jamaya Branson.
Mr Varcoe said the artwork provided a representation of the Kondoli and Ngurunderi Dreamimg Stories relevant to Granite Island and Victor Harbor.
"The artwork is representing the significance of our lands and waters and their creation, as well as the ceremonies our ancestors performed," he said.
Celebration: Senator Andrew McLachlan, Cedric Varcoe, Kyla McHughes, Amanda Westley, Kevin Kropinyeri, City of Victor Harbor CEO Victoria MacKirdy, Mayor Moira Jenkins and Member for Finniss David Basham preview Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri etchings.
"We wanted to share this in the artwork to represent the significance Victor Harbor hold for us Ramindjeri but also for the Ngarrindjeri Nation and how we're connected and related to country, the water, living animals and plants...
"It's been a pleasure to be an artist working on this, to share how significant these stories are for us."
Member for Finniss David Basham said the artwork would provide the new causeway with a link to thousands of years of history.
"I thank the local Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri community and artists, the department and the construction company McConnell Dowell for working together to deliver a beautiful story across the length of the causeway," Mr Basham said.
"This is such an important piece of infrastructure to this community and it has so many meanings for so many people."
City of Victor Harbor Mayor Dr Moira Jenkins also praised the artwork at the unveiling.
"This is just beautiful and has so much meaning... for me as a Caucasian Australian, this is a way for us to connect with the Ngarrindjeri and Ramindjeri people," Dr Jenkins said.
"To have this embedded in a new structure is so important because it shows the significance of the land that we walk on each day."
TEXT FROM THE VICTOR HARBOR TIMES
