Cultural artwork at heart of redevelopment
A charming illustration of a humpback whale travelling along Sydney's coastline adorns the sixty-metre-long clinical link bridge connecting the new children's hospital building to the Prince of Wales Hospital.
The design is more than just decoration; it鈥檚 an interpretation of a Dreaming story passed down by the original occupiers of the land.
Dharawal Elder Lola Ryan led the creation of the artwork by retelling the story of the Burriburri, or whale, to patients and siblings at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.
"The Burriburri story is like a totem to our people, who walked from Sydney Harbour to the Shoalhaven region. Our ancestors did it to sustain all the wildlife and vegetation," said Aunty Lola.
"The whale, the Burriburri, travels up the coast, and one of its resting places is Sydney Harbour, along with all of our bays at Coogee and Maroubra."
The grandmother, who has recently marked 21 years as an Aboriginal Health Worker at Randwick, shared her learnings with children in the Hospital School, wards and outpatient units, who helped create the illustrations that feature on the link bridge facade.
The National Aboriginal Design Agency and Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation proudly supported the workshops.
For Aunty Lola, the process was about more than simply creating art; it presented an important opportunity to share her culture with the next generation.
"I grew up on the Aboriginal Reserve, called Missions, so I didn鈥檛 grow up with culture because you weren鈥檛 allowed to speak the language or practice Aboriginal culture," said Aunty Lola.
"The culture needs to be taught, and it鈥檚 very important for it to live on. It gives our people a sense of belonging and knowing where they come from. We were here, and we didn鈥檛 know what that meant to us when we were kids."
The link bridge artwork is just one element in the new hospital building and research centre that celebrates local Aboriginal culture.
Language, art and design elements supported by Aboriginal staff, families and community groups, such as Gujaga Foundation, will feature prominently throughout the building, including a playground inspired by the Burriburri story.
With the hospital and research centre set to open from November, Aunty Lola said showing her grandchildren the artwork will be a special moment.
"It will probably be a bit emotional," said Aunty Lola.
"I can鈥檛 wait to see the artwork featured on the link bridge when it鈥檚 installed. Those children, everyone involved, did such a great job."
This Close the Gap Day, Sydney Children鈥檚 Hospitals 星空体育 remains dedicated to achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality and ensuring everyone feels welcome in our services.
Learn more about our health services and find out more about the Sydney Children's Hospital Stage 1 and Minderoo Children's Comprehensive Cancer Centre project.