Telford Park All Abilities Sculpture Trail (Darley)
.jpg "Telford Park All Abilities Sculpture Trail (Darley)")
Telford Park All Abilities Sculpture Trail comprises 1.8km of all abilities trails that wind up the slope of Telford Park to a indigenous sculpture, Binak Biik created by Aunty Kim Wandin and Chris Joy.
The bronze baskets, basalt rocks and plants acknowledge Wurundjeri women as the weavers and connectors within their community. The sculptures are a visual and tactile experience representing local landscapes and the geology of the Western Plains.
The trail circles around Telford Park with spots to sit and relax, and there are options for longer or shorter loops. The trail leads to a lookout mound in the centre of the park where you'll find the sculptures and a couple of seats. Beside the trail are lots of different plants with a myriad of shapes and colours.
The trail is suitable for wheelchair users and people using walking aids. Please ensure you are fully prepared before you go, including sturdy walking shoes, drinking water, and sun protection.
Distance: 615m to lookout
Circuit: approximately 1250m
Elevation: 168m to 182m
Total climbing: 14m
Difficulty: Grade 1 (easy)
At the start of the trail are some seats, unshaded tables, water tap and map. There is a branch leading to the left to the start of the 1000+ steps.
Binak Biik
By Aunty Kim Wandin and Christine Joy (2023)
Bronze, basalt rocks and indigenous plants
Binak Biik, also known as Basket Country, is a project by Aunty Kim Wandin and Chris Joy that encourages a tactile exploration of the local landscape through woven baskets, plants and basalt rocks. The work highlights fibre and food plants including Wallaby grass (Rytidosperma caespitosum) and Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra). These plants produce seeds (Woiwurrung - buath dirrandil) which are ground and milled into flour for damper. The basalt rocks reflect the geology of the Western Plains.
Binak Biik honours all layers of Wurundjeri Country, recognising it as a life-giver and provider. The work also acknowledges Wurundjeri women (bagurrk) as the weavers in community. The baskets are symbolic, representing the preservation of a traditional lifestyle and a resilient community. Women, as gatherers of knowledge and stories, use baskets as vessels to gather food and provide for their family. These baskets also hold babies (bubup).
The process for this sculpture began with fibre baskets woven by master weaver and Wurundjeri Elder, Aunty Kim Wandin, using techniques passed down through her matrilineal heritage and rooted in deep time. The fibre baskets were then cast and transformed into bronze sculptures.
The basalt plains of Western Victoria once supported biodiverse and widespread grasslands. Due to colonisation, this ecosystem is now critically threatened, primarily because of extensive land clearing for the farming of hard-hooved animals that destroy plants and soil. Precious remnant vegetation offers shelter to endangered animal species including the Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana) and the critically endangered plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus), both also face threats from introduced predators such as cats and foxes. Over millennia, management of the landscape by Wurundjeri people created a sustainable living landscape based on reciprocity and respect.
In addition to the grasses mentioned above, look out for these plant species between the rocks, some are rare and critically endangered. Rough Spear grass (Austrostipa scabra), Feathery Spear grass (Austrostipa elegantissima), Plains Copper-wire Daisy (Podolepis linearifolia), Woolly Buttons (Leiocarpa panaetioides), Austral Storksbill (Pelargonium australe), Pale Flax-lily (Dianella longifolia var. grandis), Matted Flax-lily (Dianella amoena) and Chocolate Lily (Arthropodium strictum).
Photos:
Location
88 Wittick Street, Darley 3340 Map
Web Links
→ Moorabool All Abilities Sculpture Walk (Walking Maps)
