Vasse Diversion Drain mural follows the wagaul
Artist Mariah Yarran-Hill in front of the 200m mural that runs along the Vasse Diversion Drain
An ancient story of water and survival is now being told in a vibrant mural stretching along part of the Vasse Diversion Drain.
As part of a new partnership between Water Corporation, Aboriginal artists and local students, the mural stretches 200 metres along the wall of the drainage channel that protects Busselton and the surrounding area from flooding.
The mural is the creation of South West Indigenous artist Mariah Yarran-Hill and a group of Year 7 and 8 students from Busselton High School’s Waalitj Kaaditjin Academy. It took more than 25 hours to complete.
“I started early in the morning to avoid being out in the sun all day in the 34-degree weather in the heatwave,” Mariah said.
“Ironically, the mural starts in Birak the first summer, with the controlled bushfires for the ‘burning season’ that moved the animals out into the open for hunting, as well as gathering food around the coastal areas.”
The mural follows the ancient tracks of Aboriginal people who would move to and from places in the area with the changing of the six seasons.
As it rolls out along the wall, the wagaul, or rainbow serpent, moves through the seasons, travelling through Bunuru, the second summer and the season of fruiting, and coastal hunting. The first rains of Djeran is followed by Makuru, the colder months when the people would move inland to shelter from the coastal winds, and kangaroo was on the menu. The kangaroo skins were used to keep people warm.
The weather warms in Djilba, and people were on the move again to hunt before ending in Kambarang, the season when berries were collected and people moved back to the coast.
“The story depicts what the Noongar people had to do during each season to survive through the changing weather conditions,” Mariah said.
“The waugul teaches Aboriginal people to live in a conscious relationship with the cycles of the land and the cycles of the human body.
“My mural is here to educate the younger generation through the symbols and colours in my artwork.”
Water Corporation South West Regional Manager Nicky Waite says the mural will keep the story alive among young Aboriginal people as well as educate others about the importance of our waterways.
“We need to learn these important stories as they show us how Aboriginal people have survived and cared for waterways and lands for tens of thousands of years,” she said.
