Inner West Council’s 2023 Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan commits to create three Aboriginal Survival Memorials, as culturally safe spaces, and sites for education, understanding, and reconciliation. The first Memorial in Yeo Park Ashfield was opened in 2024.

The Memorials are significant landmark works, led by Aboriginal artists, and guided by Aboriginal participation. The objective of the Memorials is to create places that are welcoming and inclusive for celebration of survival, resilience, learning on Country, truth telling in culturally safe spaces, connection, healing and belonging for all.

Illoura Reserve is beautiful park located below Weston Street, Balmain East on the waterfront and facing east towards Barangaroo. It features abundant native vegetation and sandstone cliffs and a view looking out over Sydney Harbour as shown in images below.

The theme for the second work in Illoura Reserve focusses on the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander sense of being in this land since time in memorium. The artist, Jason Wing, has responded to the theme We've been here since the dawn of time with his design Gunyah Jia.

Jason's vision of the work is as follows:

'This work draws on the vernacular form of Indigenous shelters as well as the traditional Chinese hut form. Using the geometric form of the Aboriginal Gunyah that is created through a series of interconnecting symbolic branches of bamboo and native trees. that rest, support and strengthen and protect each other. This simple form is traditionally a domestic space, a place for gathering, dialogue, respite and sharing stories. Gunyah Jia is an efficient use of materials to create a spiralling form that allows people to access and interact with the space from all sides.'

The words are captured in the images below.

There are three proposed locations within the Illoura Reserve, where the artwork could be installed. One of these locations will be chosen as the installation site.

You can provide feedback by:

• Attending an onsite community session on Saturday 3 August, 3-4pm, next to the playground
• Completing the form below
• Emailing to Simon.Watts@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
• Posting to Inner West Council, Po Box 14, Petersham NSW 2029, c/o Simon Watts
• Calling us on 02 9392 5971

Other ways to provide feedback:

• Call a FREE Interpreter or the National Relay Service, Monday to Friday between 9am-4pm and provide our phone number 02 93925971
  • Free Interpreter call TIS National on 131 450
  • Voice relay call 1300 555 727
  • TTY call 133 677
  • SMS relay call 0423 677 767

Last day to provide feedback is 16 September 2024.