The Great Emu in the Sky – a Welcome to Country
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 18 hours ago
Standing proudly at the interchange of the newly opened Warami Drive / M12 Motorway, is a striking piece of architecture, and a powerful Welcome to Country, The Great Emu in the Sky. Soaring 30 metres high, it is a sculpture sharing the Dharug story of the Great Emu constellation, of how Mariong, the Emu and Mother Spirit, became the Milky Way.
Created through a deeply collaborative process, the work brings together five celebrated First Nations artists, Indigenous design agency Balarinji Studios and Transport for NSW, who commissioned the piece as a ‘Welcome to Country’ experience through public art, guided by Designing with Country principles.
Its design evolved organically, each artist contributing and building on shared ideas. Shaped as an emu nest, the sculpture features large mirrored branches that echo the Western Sydney landscape - creeks, ridgelines and silcrete. Light brings the story to life, reflecting the rhythms of the Aboriginal six seasons, alternating between two emu forms. One sitting on the nest, the other rising in the night sky, while projected colour washes mark the passage of changing seasons.
Linking the M12 Motorway, shared pathways and First Nations artworks with the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, The Great Emu in the Sky is an immersive and enduring welcome, an invitation to pause, reflect and experience the depth and continuity of First Nations culture and storytelling.
WEST First Nations Cultural Ambassador Danielle Mate and First Nations artists Danny Eastwood, Jamie Eastwood, Jasmine Seymour and Leanne Watson were brought together to collaborate and co-create with Balarinji Studio and Lead Conceptual Artist on the work’s genesis, Tim Moriarty, to bring this vision to life, sharing their sentiments with WEST.
DANIELLE MATE (Murrawarri / Euahlayi)
WEST FIRST NATIONS CULTURAL AMBASSADOR
Danielle Mate has held numerous private exhibitions in NSW, QLD and ACT, and her work was part of President Obama’s private collection in the White House. Danielle enjoys facilitating workshops, particularly with Aboriginal young people and her art can be found on many large-scale public works throughout Sydney.
“This piece represents a Dharug story that has been passed down through generations, a story that lives in the night sky of our Country. It tells a story of cycles – of the seasons, the movement of animals, and the way our ancestors read the sky to understand when to hunt, gather, and care for Country. Through this work, we’ve brought the living story of the Emu down from the sky and into a space where people can walk around it, feel its presence. It is a celebration of culture.”
“As WEST’s First Nations Cultural Ambassador, I’d love to encourage everyone to engage in this art piece by asking questions, learn the cultural story, experience the walkways / bike paths, the wayfinding, maybe learn some local Dharug language. Experience the overpasses and enjoy the seasonal native planting surrounding the new freeways. But most of all, share your experience with your family and friends, this is how we share local Dharug culture and come together.”
DANNY EASTWOOD (Ngemba)
Danny Eastwood’s art can be found in major collections including the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney and the Heritage Centre in Parramatta. He was named NSW Aboriginal Artist of the Year in 1992 and received both the 1993 National Aboriginal Artist of the Year Award and the 2008 Parliament of New South Wales Indigenous Art Prize.
“This is a special, meaningful project because it represents all the Aboriginal people in the Western suburbs, all the Dharug people, and all the First Nations people. When they come to this airport and they see the sculpture, they’ll feel proud. We as Aboriginal artists represented all the Western Suburb artists around the various areas, they’ll feel it as part of theirs, it belongs to them.”
JAMIE EASTWOOD (Ngemba / Dharug)
Jamie Eastwood has been a practising artist for more than 20 years, teaching Aboriginal Art and Culture across universities, TAFE and art schools nationwide. He is also an archaeological site officer on Aboriginal sites. Jamie’s work has been exhibited widely and he has received numerous awards, including NSW Aboriginal Artist of the Year and the Centennial Medal award for service to the arts.
“This sculpture will become an iconic landmark for future generations. Australians will be able to share and celebrate this story and international visitors will be able to take our story back with them to share.”
“I also hope they take away a joy of that culture. Our culture is a joyful thing; it’s a sharing thing. Hopefully it inspires people to discover more about our culture and our history.”
JASMINE SEYMOUR (Dharug)
Jasmine Seymour is a Dharug language teacher and language activist, an award-winning children's book author-illustrator, primary school teacher and language researcher.
“It’s very overwhelming to see this in its full beauty and form. Also, thinking about what it will mean to people in Western Sydney, especially for kids to grow up with something like this being highly visible, speaks to the Indigenous story of Australia. The Emu in the Sky is a shared story across lots of different language groups, so this artwork is very, very powerful. I really hope that creates a sense of belonging for all people in Western Sydney to be really proud of.”
LEANNE WATSON (Dharug)
Leanne Watson has spent her life living, promoting and protecting Dharug
culture, people and places. Her artwork and cultural knowledge has taken her
internationally to promote Dharug culture, delivering workshops, interpretive projects and educational programs. Leanne signs her work as Mulgo, meaning Black Swan.
“I think that people will take away from the sculpture that Dharug people are still here, the Dharug stories are still here, and our culture is still here and strong. I also hope they take away that our culture is really beautiful.”
JOHNNY BRIDGES (Ngunnawal), Balarinji Indigenous Creative Lead
“Balarinji Studio is pleased to have led a deeply collaborative process to co-create this magnificent sculptural work. Balarinji’s creative process across the five years of the work’s development ensured every detail was crafted through co-design and with the utmost care and respect for the Dharug Emu story that it represents.”
With a shared user pathway along the M12 Motorway, accessing the The Great Emu in the Sky has never been easier. It can be viewed from Luddenham Road, or experienced via a walk or cycle giving you time to take in its form, scale, and detail. Seeing the sculpture in person is a powerful and memorable encounter, an invitation to learn, reflect and connect with Country and First Nations culture, and to immerse yourself in the time-honoured story it shares. Explore with West.
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