Project description

Cardinia Shire lies on the lands of the Bunurong and is home to over 100,000 diverse residents.

Council recognises the significance of the land and has chosen to celebrate the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation stories as part of the Princes Highway intersection projects, which stretches from Beaconsfield to Pakenham.

Council is installing wayfinding and Aboriginal storytelling signage, artwork, and sculptures along the Princes Highway trails.

The current Princes Hwy trail spans over 5km from O’Neil Road in Beaconsfield to Arena Parade in Officer, and will include 32 aluminium wayfinding signs, 12 indigenous storytelling signs and a sculpture.

Council has worked in partnership with the Bunurong Land Council, Little Rocket and artists Auntie Heather Kennedy and Mark Brown to create interpretation signs that tell the stories of the Bunurong people. These stories are communicated through artwork designed by Bunurong artists Auntie Heather Kennedy and Mark Brown.

Cardinia Shire Council is committed to working closely with the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation to ensure their voices are heard and to help bring to life their stories and culture through the Bergun Wayfinding Trail project.

Artwork 1 – Painting from Auntie Heather Kennedy

This artwork weaves together various symbolic elements to depict the interconnectedness of trade routes, spiritual journeys, seasonal changes, and community ties within Bunurong culture.

Repeated footprints arranged in a walking pattern, symbolise the trade roots and paths. Beneath them, a central symbol ‘O’ signifies coming together from different paths to the same place, one area to another.

The gum leaves represent change and spirit cleansing healing ceremony. The gum nuts represent regeneration of life and seasons, they cannot be burned for ceremony. When burnt they release seeds, regenerating life.

The central circles represent the many layers of Bunurong peoples. The blue outside ring represents the ancestral spirit guides, our Elders past watching over community and encircling us. The orange and blue layers is our community, Indigenous and Non-Indigenous we sit with the knowledge circles of our Elders past and present. The green layer symbolises our Elders with us now, they are our knowledge keepers and guides in this world. They are our story tellers, who we go to for advice and guidance.

Amongst the vibrant landscape, fauna such as the Kookaburra, Black Cockatoo, and Cape Barren Geese remind us of the rich biodiversity and migratory patterns that exist on Bunurong Country.

Artwork 2 – Digital designs by Mark Brown

Funding

The Princes Highway Intersection program has $36 million in funding to deliver 8 major intersection upgrades from 2020 to 2029.

• Australian Government contribution: $17.8 million from its Urban Congestion Fund.
• Council contribution: $18.3 million from its Developer Contribution Plan.

Progress update

The signs are currently being installed, while the sculpture is expected to be installed in mid-2025.