Birrarung Wilam ( Common Ground ) - Three Message Stick Sculptures Commission

Birrarung Wilam ( Common Ground ) - Three Message Stick Sculptures Commission

We were commissioned in 2006 to create three message sticks for an installation called Birrarung Wilam.   
The message sticks were put in place in mid 2007.

The Birrarung Wilam installation was created by Indigenous artists Vicki Couzens (Kirrae Wurrong/Gunditjmara),
Lee Darroch (Yorta Yorta, Mutti Mutti and Trawlwoolway) and Treahna Hamm (Yorta Yorta)  .
Mick Harding created the design for the Taungwurrung message stick.  The other two message sticks were created after consulting with Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung traditional owners to create their designs.

 

Location: ArtPlay, Birrarung Marr 'Birrarung Wilam' – meaning river camp – is
an environmental art project made up of several interrelated elements
that celebrate the physical and spiritual connections between Indigenous people and place.
The philosophy underlying the work is gulpa ngawul, a Yorta Yorta word that most closely translates as ‘deep listening’. Accordingly, this work honours the traditions of tribes throughout Victoria.
You can watch more about the complete Birrarung Wilam project here