A soaring 6-metre high monument honours the clans of the Eora nation and the traditions of their fisherwomen.
An intimate headland ceremony featuring female First Nations dancers, musical performances and traditional fire pits unveiled one of Sydney’s most significant public artworks.
The artwork by Aboriginal artist Judy Watson is a tribute to the world’s oldest continuous culture and a reminder of its significance for our nation now and for generations to come.
Photo: Chris Southwood, City of Sydney
A symbolic flame, carried to the event by Tribal Warrior accompanied by Burrundi Theatre for Performing Arts dancers, is used to light the ceremonial campfire.
Photo: Chris Southwood
A still calm overtakes the Tarpeian Precinct Lawn, Royal Botanic Garden. The artwork lighting responds the phases of the moon, glowing like the cooking fires that would have once adorned this headland.
Photo: Chris Southwood, City of Sydney
"bara reimagines ancient gathering spaces where people sat by fires on the headlands and feasted. bara provides a quiet space for ceremony, reflection and contemplation in a busy and ever-changing city. It is inspiring and educational, beautiful and transformative.” - Judy Watson.
Photo: Chris Southwood, City of Sydney
The gleaming 6.4 metre high monument of bara seems to loom over the southern promenade of the Sydney Opera House, a visually stunning reminder of the Gadigal people’s association with the site, the harbour and the significance of Eora Fisherwoman and their traditional fishing practices.
Photo: Brett Boardman
bara takes pride of place on the lawns overlooking Dubbagullee (Bennelong Point) and Sydney Harbour.
“This site means a lot to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Sydney and the wider community. We will finally have a presence of this magnitude and an opportunity to share our culture, our history, and our knowledge with others who come to view it.”
Tracey Duncan, former co-chair of the City of Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel.
Photo: Brett Boardman, City of Sydney
bara glows in glorious autumn afternoon sun, as dancers from Burrundi Theatre for Perfoming Arts removed the veil from the lastest artwork in the Eora Journey.
Photo: Chris Southwood, City of Sydney
Bara is the fourth Eora Journey public art project, and is part of the harbour walk, Yananurala (Walking on Country). The 9 kilometre walk stretches from the Australian National Maritime Museum in Tumbalong (Darling Harbour) to Wallamool (Woolloomooloo Bay) and Bayinguwa (Garden Island).
Learn more about bara.
Published 28 May 2022, updated 31 May 2022
