City of Stirling Public Art Masterplan

Ngalang Bardip (Our Stories) The Boodjar (lands) on which the City of Stirling sits have been home to the Mooro people for more than 40,000 years. The Ngalang Bardip curatorial theme aligns with the City’s Reconciliation Action Plan and aims to recognise, explore and promote our Boodjar (lands) Nyoongar history, and the continuing importance of Mooro culture to the City’s identity. Ngalang Bardip ensures appropriate space and investment is given to Mooro Karni (truth telling), allowing newcomers, visitors, and non-Indigenous residents to learn about the Indigenous history and culture of the City of Stirling, both past and present. In tandem with the Masterplan’s guiding and supporting principles, this curatorial theme encourages Nyoongar-led explorations of Nyoongar themes and Bardip (stories) and allows whole-community celebration and valuing of our unique Indigenous culture.

As well as creating public artworks which celebrate the ongoing contribution of Nyoongar stories to life in the City of Stirling, Ngalang Bardip creates space for the expression of difficult Karni (truth telling) and histories in the City. Nyoongar Karni of dispossession of land, the forcible removal of Koorlangka (children) from their Moort (families) and the ongoing intergenerational traumas created by European colonisation are topics that can be explored in public artworks, with the aim to educate, recognise and heal. The ‘Ngalang Bardip’ curatorial theme recognises that Ngalang Bardip are many, are important and are ongoing. Public artworks commissioned with the Ngalang Bardip theme will involve Nyoongar artists.

Public Art Masterplan 2021 – 2025 | 29