Perhaps their biggest and most public canvas yet to showcase their work, three Parkes Wiradjuri artists have been selected to display permanent artworks along the Parkes Bypass.
In September 2024 Transport for NSW, in consultation with the local Aboriginal community, invited local Aboriginal artists to submit artworks to feature on two elements of the $287.2 million Parkes Bypass project.
One on safety screens on the Victoria Street Bridge and the other on signage at either end of the bypass.
Following a review of the submissions, Wiradjuri women and cousins from Parkes Kyah and Katlyn Turnbull’s design was selected to appear on the bridge’s safety screens and Wiradjuri man from Peak Hill Scott ‘Sauce’ Towney’s artwork will feature on the signposts.
These artworks will be seen by thousands of motorists every day.
Latest Stories
Kyah Turnbull said their design reflected Wiradjuri culture and the local environment by using symbols and patterns alongside a range of animals local to the Parkes area.
“We have used meeting place symbols and travelling lines to connect Parkes to its surroundings towns, essentially creating a map of the Parkes Shire. These include Peak Hill, Trewilga, Alectown, Cookamidgera, Bogan Gate, Trundle and Tullamore,” Kyah said.
“The animals used are the kangaroo (Wambuwuny), goanna (Gugaa) and echidna (Wandayali) and they have lined patterns as Wiradjuri art traditionally doesn’t use dots.”
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the bridge, which is one of two being built for the Parkes Bypass, will connect the project to Country and its people while delivering a safer road for the community.
“The Victoria Street Bridge is a key element of the project as it will allow light vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists via a shared path to cross over the bypass to Back Trundle Road safely," the spokesperson said.
“The fact it will showcase local Wiradjuri art by local Wiradjuri women just enhances the way it ties to and benefits the whole community.”
Vehicle access via the Victoria Street Bridge, which is to be named by Parkes Shire Council, wasn’t included in the original designs for the bypass, but following feedback from the public Transport for NSW added it to connect the community to Parkes Christian School and the Shallow Rush area of town.
The bridge is expected to be open to traffic in the coming months.
Reflecting on his winning submission, Mr Towney said the Parkes Shire community was central to the design.
“Wiradjuri pattern symbols serve as a visual representation of the land while the people figures are a nod to our elders who have paved the way for us,” he said.
“Parkes is depicted as the main meeting place, symbolising its importance as a cultural hub for the Wiradjuri people and its outreach to surrounding towns.”
The Transport for NSW spokesperson said the signposts would acknowledge the Wiradjuri Country on which the project is built.
“It’s vital we pay respect to the traditional custodians who have nurtured this land for millennia. Scott’s design will signify that history and serve as a welcome to users of the bypass long into the future," they said.
The Australian and NSW Governments are investing $287.2 million in the Parkes Bypass project, which is expected to be completed mid-2025, weather permitting.
The project is part of the $1.5 billion investment from the Australian and NSW governments into the Newell Highway corridor.
