Perth Airports new skybridge honours local Noongar families and their stories

Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown said that the new pedestrian bridge linking Airport Central station with the Airport’s terminals provides a seamless connection for passengers arriving at or departing from the airport and combines some incredible art and storytelling.

“Perth Airport sits on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation and formed part of traditional travelling networks.  Today, we form part of a modern travelling network – one which connects people across the globe to our home, and we greatly value the responsibility of being the first point of connection to the vibrant and unique cultural heritage of our State’s Aboriginal people for international and interstate visitors.

“This is why we engaged with local Noongar families to create a soundscape which can be heard throughout the bridge which provides reflections on the significance of the Derbarl Yerrigan (the Swan River) and Wadjak Boodja (Whadjuk Country) and their personal experiences of this place.”

The soundscape takes the form of a short audio journey through the Swan River region; moving through different areas of the land and waters at different times of the day and night.

An entire ‘journey’ for the listener would have them transported from one end of the Swan River to the other over the course of a day, whilst encountering differing weather conditions, all the while being spoken to by a Traditional Custodian who shares their stories and viewpoints from a cultural perspective.

Perth Airport’s Aboriginal Partnership Group has also given the bridge the appropriate name Worl Bidi (Worl meaning sky and bidi meaning path) to honour the connections the families have with the land.

Local WA talent Nani Creative, Jade Dolman and Crispian Warrell were also commissioned to produce traditional artwork throughout the bridge that links to the soundscape, the Derbarl Yerrigan / Swan River and Country.

Crispian’s artwork is featured on the two travelators. It speaks to the story of traveling along the Derbarl Yerrigan and the flora and fauna within Noongar boodjar while Jade has installed two murals representing connection to ocean and land.

Artist Jade Dolman said that “these murals are about our connection to Boodjar and how important it is to give back to Country, when we take. This reciprocal relationship has been practiced by Noongars on this country for thousands of years.”

Worl Bidi provides an elevated sheltered walkway across the main terminal car park, providing direct access to the T1 forecourt. It has been designed to provide clear orientation and wayfinding with views across the terminal precinct.

Background

• The modular bridge was installed in 12 sections has three entry points and includes energy-efficient walkway travellators to speed up pedestrian transit between the airport and train station.
• The Soundscape is made of three distinct sound elements; narrative voiceover; endemic WA nature sounds, and an original musical score. The final form of ‘river journey’ is made up from the following six sub-sections:
  
  
  • “The Mouth of the River”: As listeners, we journey from the raging rapids at the northern end of the river to the calmer waters downstream towards Perth. We are introduced to our narrative guides and are exposed to the sounds of some of the endemic natural life that the region is known for, such as Carnaby’s Cockatoos, Galahs, and Black Swans.
  • “Into the Wetlands”: The stronger northern waters slow to a shallower section of the river where life in the wetlands can be heard; frogs, birds, and insect life call from their hidden locations.
  • “Night Falls”: The long day gives way to the late afternoon and then evening where the distinctive calls and hoots of Curlews, Nightjars and Owls echo through the landscape.
  • “New Day’s Song”: The night dissolves into the early morning light, bringing with it an abundance of birdsong; the carolling of Magpies, Butcherbirds, and Currawongs fills the still, dusk air.
  • “The Heat of the Day”: Morning slowly crossfades into the middle of the day where the land bakes in the glow of the harsh southern sun; cicadas and crickets rhythmically pulse and breathe while the Australian Ravens, Cockatoos, and small bush birds such as the Willie Wagtail sing out in the waves of heat.
  • “To the Lakes and Ocean”: As the afternoon draws on, the winds change westward and the breeze ushers in movement in the lakes where Black Swans and Curlews call and bob in the currents. Towards the end of the river, as the ocean waves roll in at the mouth of Fremantle, the Silver Gulls screech and hover over the land; diving and darting for food along the salty, sandy stretches of the west coast.

Mural at terminal entrance/exit to bridge

• Derbarl Yerrigan Map
• Connection from the ocean
• ‘Stars’ arranged in the international flight plan from Perth Airport. They are connected as a journey line to show travelling long distance from one side of the mural to the other
• Above the stars, are people caring for and giving colour to the land
• Below the river are symbols of some special things we have on Noongar boodjar; kangaroo, emu, goanna, Dingo, coolamon, spear, waterways, campfires and our Noongar people
• The white around the symbols represents all the things the land provided us with - berries, meat, bush foods, drinking water, shelter, clothing, resources for tools.

Mural located mid-way through the bridge

• Wetlands, swamps and lakes
• Inland
• ‘Stars’ arranged in the domestic flight plan from Perth Airport. They are connected as a journey line to show travelling long distance from one side of the mural to the other
• Below the journey line are people caring for and giving colour to the land
• Above the wetlands are symbols of a few special things we have on Noongar boodjar; kangaroo, emu, goanna, Dingo, coolamon, spear, waterways, campfires and our Noongar people
• The white around the symbols represent all the things the land provided us with - berries, meat, bush foods, drinking water, shelter, clothing, resources for tools.

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Perth Airport
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