Sydney Desalination Plant (SDP) proudly cut the plaque ribbon at an 800-metre pipeline section in Tempe on Tuesday marking the completion of a year-long First Nations artwork project that has transformed the local community.
Runnning alongside Airport Drive and the Alexandra Canal, the pipeline transports up to 250 million litres of desalinated drinking water from SDP's Plant in Kurnell to Sydney Water's Erskineville supply network.
SDP's chief executive Phil Narezzi said the completion of the artwork and project marks an exciting milestone for the business and local community.
"We are delighted to celebrate the completion of the First Nations-inspired artwork on the Tempe pipeline. The pipeline carries millions of litres of drinking water from the Sydney Desalination Plant every day and this mural serves as a tribute to the rich local culture and traditions of Australia's First Nations communities," he said.
"In collaboration with Re-Right and the talented young First Nations artists, the artwork has transformed the local landscape, creating a beautiful mural for cyclists and walkers to observe and those who arrive in Sydney via the nearby Kingsford Smith Airport.
"The project reflects our commitment to sustainability, community, and cultural diversity. We are not just delivering drinking water but a message of cultural preservation and unity."
Artists Carmen Glynn-Braun and Dennis Golding with Phil Narezzi, deputy mayor Matt Howard and a representative from Aboriginal Land Council. (Image: supplied)
Designed by Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi, Gamilaraay) and Carmen Glynn-Braun (Kaytetye, Anmatyerr, and Arrernte) - co-founders of the First Nations artistic collective Re-Right - the mural's design is based on key elements from the local land and waters of the Bidjigal, Gadigal, and Dharawal clans including images of seagulls, oysters, and wattles.
Golding and Glynn-Braun work with local communities to create public artworks honouring First Nations' culture and experiences. Their previous projects include the design of light projections on the pylons of the Harbour Bridge for Sydney's 2022 New Year's Eve Fireworks and artwork on the roadways and earth mounds of the Sydney Gateway in 2021.
Artists Jo Breneger and Leia Sidery from Indigo Jo, a bespoke signage and muralist company, began painting the mural's design in March 2024.
A key inspiration for the artwork was the shape of the boomerang, a significant cultural object made from mangrove trees, like those abundant in the pipeline's area. The bend of the boomerang inspired the artists to create a key pattern of two waterways that references the coastline and rivers to which the pipeline is connected.
Young First Nations artists Dakota Dixon-Campbell and Wirrin Lowe advised on some of the artwork's key elements and icons, including the local shellfish found in the Cooks River and Alexandra Canal and wattles growing in the area.
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