The walk began on Friday 12 September 2015 at the Murrumbidgee River near Narrandera and ended on Monday 15 September at a property in the Birrego district owned by the Strong family.
The aims of the walk were:
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To acknowledge and understand the local history of the Narrandera region;
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To honour the capacities of land and people to produce food and fibre; and
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To build cultural and ecological resilience.
Along the 45km route of the walk, artists presented artworks, installations and performances made for each campsite. Talks were given by local elders, farmers and community members to foster discussion about history, possible futures, and the inextricable ties between our bodies and the nourishing, productive terrains through which we walk.
Campsite 1: What Lies Around the Bend?
A Night of Community Celebration, Storytelling and Performance
Friday 12 September 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Buckingbong Camping Reserve
Uncle Jimmy Ingram talked about local histories, Roland Williams talked about land management, weaving demonstrations by the Hands On Weavers, Johnny Cakes and projections.
Campsite 2: A Site-Specific Installation by Lorraine Connelly Northey and Jonathan Jones with Aunty Gail Clark
Saturday 13 September 6pm - 7pm
Buckingbong State Forest
Lorraine Connelly Northey and Jonathan Jones worked with local materials and stories to reconstruct notions of gunya or home. This new art work speaks to issues of Wiradjuri traditions and knowledge to recall a lived landscape while challenging Western ideas of nature.
Aunty Gail Clark is a Wiradjuri elder in residence at Charles Sturt University, Lorraine Connelly Northey is a Waradgerie artist based in Albury and Jonathan Jones is a Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist based in Sydney. Both Lorraine Connelly Northey and Jonathan Jones have exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally.
Special Campsite Events
Campsite 3: The Meridian Circle Performance: Land Art, Music and Conversation
Sunday 14 September 6pm - 7pm
Birrego
The Meridian Circle is a huge land art site constructed in 2009 in a Birrego paddock by Graham Strong and Steve Harradine. Steve talked about why the Meridian Circle was constructed and the process involved in making it. As the sun set Vic McEwan and Graham Strong played an improvised set of fence and guitar.
This project was created in partnership with the National Museum of Australia, Graham Strong and Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation. Funded through Arts NSW.
Images: Jacob Raupach
