CELEBRATION OF ABORIGINAL CULTURES IN SYDNEY HARBOUR
09 Jun 2022
Bara by Waanyi artist Judy Watson is the fourth installation of the Eora Journey public art project curated by Hetti Perkins.
The six-metre-high marble monument stands strong at the edge of Bennelong Point overlooking Circular Quay. Bara translates to shell hook which artist Judy Watson tells she was inspired by a shell fishing hook that is handcrafted and used by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women for many generations. 
"The crescent shape is a beautiful expression of Aboriginal technology, with the shells fashioned into fish hooks by women who dangled them from their nawi canoes. The bara is like a reflection of the moon in the sky, the bays in the harbour, the sails of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge," Judy Watson said.
“bara reimagines ancient gathering spaces where people sat by fires on the headlands and feasted. bara will provide a quiet space for ceremony, reflection and contemplation in a busy and ever-changing city. It is inspiring and educational, beautiful and transformative.” 
Lord Mayor Clover Moore addresses the artwork as a reminder for Sydney-siders as a celebration of the Eora and First Nations people.
Curator of the Eora Journey, Hetti Perkins, states that the public art project is to honour the heritage and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the public space. 
Images courtesy of Chris Southwood
Bara is the last of the Eora Journey installation with the other three located in Redfern on Caroline Street and Hyde Park.
To find out more information on the Bara installation click HERE.
To read more about the Eora Journey, click HERE.
