Our places 
Chowder Bay
Can you share your career journey including how you joined the Harbour Trust?
My career began in the late 90s, working in architecture and interior design in Australia’s first Aboriginal architecture group: Merrima. Over the years, my practice has expanded to include urban design, public art, interiors, exhibitions and film. Because my practice is rooted in place-based storytelling, I’ve been able to contribute strategically to a number of organisations and cultural institutions that work in that space. I was appointed to the Harbour Trust by the former Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, because I’m an Australian National Maritime Museum Council Member and she wanted more connectivity between the work of the museum and that of the Harbour Trust. That’s a partnership we are now pursuing.
What did you study and how does this influence you as a Member of the Trust?
I studied interior architecture at the University of Technology, Sydney where I now work as a Professor of Practice, setting up Australia’s first Indigenous Design School. I specialise in Designing with Country, which we have been able to embed in all the master plans across the Harbour Trust sites.
What has been the most defining moment of your career so far?
I think it would have to be my upcoming public artwork, Badjgama Ngunda Whuliwulawala (Black Women Rising), a new 5.5-metre-high cast bronze sculpture that portrays an Aboriginal figure (part woman, part whale) rising powerfully out of the tank stream at One Circular Quay. This work has served as a catalyst to forming the Sydney Coastal Aboriginal Women’s Group, uniting this body of over 20 women for this project and creating a stronghold of local Traditional Owners for the Coastal Sydney region. It’s super special to me because, effectively, it’s me working with my family. I believe the artwork will attract visitors to the site and remain a positive symbol of Aboriginal strength and resilience.
What is your vision for the Harbour Trust and its destinations?
We know that Sydney Harbour is a global destination and the Harbour Trust has some of the best kept secrets on Sydney Harbour. We would like to create cultural experiences that show the world that we are one of the most beautiful harbour cities. My people are operating culturally-based enterprises, programs, festivals and experiences and we want to showcase these to global audiences.
Is there a Harbour Trust destination that holds personal meaning to you?
The work undertaken by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) at Chowder Bay in preserving the endangered White’s seahorse is very close to my heart. They have created an aquarium to breed the seahorses, and they then get released into parts of Sydney Harbour, such as Cockatoo Island, where they can now flourish in a cleaner harbour.
Which recent initiative by the Harbour Trust are you most proud of and why?
Working with the Traditional Owners and the land councils to establish a First Nations Advisory Group, which has developed a First Nations Strategy for the Harbour Trust. This will ensure that we have the most culturally capable staff and our processes of engagement with cultural material is best practice.
What upcoming Harbour Trust project are you most excited about?
The recent Federal Government’s announcement of $10 million to revamp Cockatoo Island, to convert the slipways for swimming and kayaking, will open it up to the people. This represents everything the Harbour Trust is about – cleaner waterways and the democratisation of the harbours. You won’t have to own a yacht… you can catch a ferry to Cockatoo Island and all you’ll need is a pair of cossies!
What role does tourism play in what the Harbour Trust sets out to do?
The role of tourism is central to the Harbour Trust, and not just in increasing our visitor numbers. It’s about engaging Australia with its true history: military, marine, First Nations and environmental. All of these are woven together and embodied at our sites.
Any advice for those seeking a career in heritage management or conservation?
Neither of these disciplines work in isolation anymore, but rather they are part of urban development. It’s part artmaking, storytelling, tourism and enterprise development. We need all these disciplines to work coherently to tell comprehensive stories of place. That is the future of city making.
What do you hope will be the legacy of the Harbour Trust master plans?
That the Harbour Trust is at the forefront of meaningful and long-term relationships with the communities of Country which will see the sites being a catalyst for new culturally based enterprises for my people. As many of these sites hold the last remnant endemic bushlands that have survived colonisation, they will be foundational to the ongoing care for Country in Sydney into the future.
The Members of the Trust are non-executive members appointed by the Minister for the Environment and Water. In accordance with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001, this body consists of 8 members including the Chair as well as 2 members recommended by the NSW Government, one representing the interests of First Nations peoples and another who provides a local government perspective and experience. To see the full list of members, click here.
