Park’s new Wadawurrung sculpture honours black swans

THE weather was excellent for swans as a public artwork was officially unveiled at the North Gardens Indigenous Sculpture Park opposite Lake Wendoureee last week.

New sculptural piece Kunuwarra (Blak Swan) is the creation of Wadawurrung artist Kait James, and its launch marked the beginning of the City of Ballarat’s NAIDOC Week celebrations.

James said she used metal with a protective iridescent back coating to create the Blak Swan sculpture which features five swan feathers, each standing at about 2.4 metres in height.

“The five swan feathers are arranged in a protective semi-circle symbolising knowledge being passed from one generation to another,” James said.

Black swans are revered as graceful guardians of the wetlands, she said.

“The work celebrates the cultural significance of black swans to Wadawurrung people, particularly women, and speaks of protection, matriarchal strength and cultural continuity,” James said.

Rain saw the formalities, including a Welcome to Country and cleansing smoking ceremony, transferred into the nearby Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Robert Clarke Conservatory.

Special guests including James and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners were part of the proceedings to mark Kunuwarra joining the Indigenous Sculpture Park’s first installed work, Murrup Laarr by Wadawurrung Elder and artist Dr Deanne Gilson.

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the municipality is proud to foster meaningful public artwork like Kunuwarra, highlighting stories that may otherwise go untold.

“Public art plays a powerful role in shaping inclusive civic places, and Kunuwarra will stand as a lasting symbol of cultural continuity, storytelling and shared understanding for generations to come,” Cr Hargreaves said.