Sydney Metro Rail: Sydenham Station
The location of this sculpture takes place on the old Gumbramorra Swamp, a very large area described in Colonial journals held at the Mitchell Library as 2,000 hectares resembling the country estates in England.
The Baraba was an important part of the Gadigal and Wangal peoples Cultural knowledge systems and was used in the basket weaving, string making for nets and fishing line, as well as for some of the most beautiful necklace adornments now held at the British Museum. The underground stems (rhizomes) are rich in starch and can be cooked by steaming in an earth oven. After steaming, the rhizomes can be chewed to remove the starch and the remaining fibre used to make the string.
Baraba were also a habitat for further protein sources and sacred animals to the Gadigal. It is noted that the area of Gumbramorra Swamp during the occupation of Mr Wardell in the early 19th Century, was so full of wild avian species that it was used for egg collection for the Australian Museum and for shooting practise amongst the gentry. It is likely that in addition to the birds we have today, extinct species such as the Magpie Goose and many others would have used this swampland. It is even noted that Garanga (Gadigal word for Pelican) a sacred bird for the Gadigal even nested here at times.
You will notice small moments within the swaying Baraba that tell the stories of this place in pre and post Colonial times. These details are best viewed up close.
These Scenes of Country will give you a sense of this place and what once stood right where you are today.
Each scene has been inspired by early drawings and etchings of this Gadigal Country held in archives from all over the world. I have however, taken the liberty to correct each of these etchings by studying the archives and our oral histories to ensure that the animals, objects and perspectives truly represent Gadigal and Wangal Country in the truest perspective.
Country is full of story, for those who spend the time to truly notice what she has to tell you.
