WA Cricket staff continued their NAIDOC Week celebrations this morning with a walk across the new Boorloo Bridge, which spans the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) and connects East Perth with Burswood.
WA Cricket Celebrates NAIDOC Week on Boorloo Bridge
Close to 50 staff members took part in the cultural education session, stopping at three permanent Aboriginal artworks along the bridge that celebrate the heritage of the area.
The first stop was Derbarl Gordo Bodja (River Island of Birth), a traditional shield and yooral (traditional carrying vessel) designed by Justin Martin. Embedded with culturally significant motifs and designs, the sculptural shield is a powerful statement highlighting the continuation of Nyoongar culture within Matagarup’s (Heirisson Island’s) evolving identity.
Next, participants visited Ni Wongi (listen, talk), a sculpture inspired by an oyster shell and designed by Lea Taylor. The artwork brings together male and female cultural items, incorporating a full oyster shell from which the wanna (digging stick) and booka (kangaroo skin cloak) were designed. It emphasises that people learn far more from listening than from speaking.
The walk concluded with the Wanna/Booka, also designed by Lea Taylor. In this sculpture, the two items are brought together to represent Bibbulmum yorgah (women) standing at the water’s edge, ready to cross and hunt small animals.
The Boorloo Bridge itself holds deep cultural significance, beyond offering breathtaking views of the Derbarl Yerrigan and Matagarup. Stretching one kilometre in length, its design was inspired by the stories of Fanny Balbuk and Yagan—two important figures connected to Heirisson Island.
The bridge features ‘s’-shaped curves representing the movement of the Wagyl (rainbow serpent), 52-metre-high koylie (boomerang) and 46-metre-high wanna pylons, and showcases seven captivating artworks in total.
The walk was one of several events held for WA Cricket staff and players during NAIDOC Week, including guest speakers, cultural education sessions, and tastings of food inspired by the Aboriginal seasons.
WA Cricket released its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) last year, reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to building a community that champions respect, belonging and equal opportunity for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across WA.