Trench Reserve on the banks of the Dyarubbin (Nepean River in Dharug language) in Western Sydney reopened in 2023 following a $13 million refurbishment. It is a popular community space where mountains, rivers, and plains meet.
In co-design with locally connected Aboriginal community members, Balarinji translated the local Aboriginal narrative and considered ways to authentically integrate this into the landscape design. The overarching aim was to create a sense of Place deeply connected to local Aboriginal knowledge, spirituality, protocols, history, culture and contemporary stories.
For this project, Balarinji employed its innovative Designing with Country methodology, a design toolkit that delivers design that deepens sense of place and understanding of the Indigenous context.
Balarinji undertook a series of intensive one-on-one interviews with locally connected Aboriginal knowledge holders to inform a Designing with Country framework.
This report highlighted opportunities for a design to deepen the sense of Place and provide an understanding of the local Aboriginal cultural, physical and spiritual context of the site.
Key themes were identified for the project, these included:
- Acknowledgement of the Traditional Custodians of Country. The Dyarubbin is the life source of Western Sydney, which was traditionally a flood plain, and as such was carefully managed by the Dharug and Gangangarra people.
- Ancient Country, the site and the river are culturally significant and connected to local Dreaming and Creation stories. The Dyarubbin itself and the surrounding Country was formed by the Great Eel Creator.
- Caring and restoring Country, including recommendations for planting native flora significant to local Aboriginal peoples.
