Wianamatta, meaning mother place is the Darug name for South Creek, a major creek running through western Sydney from beyond Oran Park in the south to Windsor in the north where it meets Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury River. Despite it’s status as one of the most polluted creeks in Australia, it remains a place of beauty.
South Creek Wianamatta Turning – a Festival of Nature, Stories and Sound, was a commmunity arts and environment placemaking project on the banks of South Creek Wianamatta at St Marys in 2017, I produced this project with support from Penrith City Council, Greening Australia, St Mary’s and Districts Historic Association and St Marys Area Community Development.
water drips from tin cans suspended from an old bicycle wheel
We started with a community clean up, rescuing a vast array of recylables and rubbish from washing downstream
From the rubbish, we saved some usable materials and together with materials collected by students at St Marys Public we created sound sculptures to reflect on the South Creek Wianamatta environment.
Workshops and a mini – festival was held with students from St Marys Public and with St Marys community, guided walks and tree plantings were on offer from Greening Australia and sustainability expert Ian Moxon, stories of Darug culture were shared by Colin Gale and settlement history shared by St Marys Historic Association.
