In 2007 Lillian Eastwood from the Guraki Aboriginal Advisory Committee of City of Newcastle Council consulted Muurrbay linguist Amanda Lissarrague outlining the possibility of incorporating local languages from Warrimay (Gathang) and the language from the Hunter River – Lake Macquarie for a public artwork commissioned by the Honeysuckle Development Corporation, Newcastle.
This sculpture designed by Zenscapes Landscape Architects Milne and Stonehouse, reflects layers of Aboriginal and English languages, and historically aspects of geology, maritime, and mining that continues to be evident in and around the mouth of the Hunter River.
“The languages and the representation of the midden in the artwork, convey the message that Aboriginal people occupied that space from long ago and had a great diverse life on the river. I personally believe if we can add and build the layer of Aboriginal language and history into the fabric of the Newcastle landscape then we build hopefully a safer, more tolerant and inclusive Novocastrian community” (Lillian Eastwood).
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative