New artwork unveiled at Gadigal Station weaves culture into every journey

Located at the station’s two entrances, the artwork draws inspiration from necklaces traditionally made of local reeds – emblems of identity and status among the Aboriginal communities of coastal Sydney.

As a cultural knowledge holder and artist, Rowena Welsh-Jarrett worked with established artist Alison Page and emerging artist Dakota Dixon to express the significance of this adornment and its materiality. The artwork reimagines these cultural adornments as symbols of Gadigal resilience and enduring ecological connection to place. Welsh-Jarrett explained, “This significant necklace is an adornment, representative of Traditional Owners and Country.

Made up of four cast aluminium necklace sculptures, the artwork includes a large 2.9 x 3.8 x 0.5 metre sculpture at the Park Street entrance and three smaller pieces within the Bathurst Street entrance. Dixon added, “Three smaller necklaces represent different generations and groups, united in adornment.

The naming of Gadigal Station provided an opportunity to honour the Traditional Owners of coastal Sydney and deepen public understanding of Gadigal culture. The word ‘Gadi’ references the local reed once prevalent across the former Tank Stream Valley where the station now sits.

Return of the Gadi Reed forms part of a broader collection of major public artworks across the city section of the M1 Metro line, including Callum Morton’s The Underneath – a bold tiled installation that enlivens the commutes of passengers just inside Gadigal’s entryways. Page reflected, “These necklaces are a powerful reminder that our continued cultural practices are intimately connected to Country.”