Commuters catching the train from the newly opened stations on the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Line are not just enjoying the new public transport services, they’re also being treated to a collective canvas of vibrant public art that tells a unique story of the local community and its rich heritage. From a large garden-themed mural at Thornlie Station and dynamic sculpture and serpent waterhole screens at Nicholson Road Station to the majestic emu-inspired artwork at Ranford Road Station, the four pieces created by seven local artists make each station a celebration of creativity and local culture. Keep your eye out for the amazing artworks the next time you’re at the stations.
'The Garden’ – Thornlie Station
Artwork by Arif Satar and Audrey Fernandes-Satar
The panoramic artwork along the station’s platform wall was created with Year 6 Yale Primary School students who participated in an artist-led workshop to create designs for the mural. Inspired by Whadjuk elder Marie Taylor and artists Arif Satar and Audrey Fernandes-Satar, the students drew their dream garden, or a bush tucker garden which were then captured in the colourful artwork.
Forecourt sculpture and screen artwork – Nicholson Road Station
Artwork by Penelope Forlano and Marcia McGuire
Commuters visiting Nicholson Road Station are greeted by a large sculpture with a seating platform inspired by a sprouting plant shoot or flame. During the day, the sculpture lights up green to symbolise life and renewal and shifts to red at night to represent fire, which plays a key role in helping many native plant species’ seeds transform into new life. At the station’s car park, the local waterhole is surrounded by a vibrant screen artwork featuring the Waugal (Serpent) passing through the landscape.
Linear artwork – Ranford Road Station
Artwork by Alexander Knox and Eliza Hutchison
As you arrive at Ranford Road Station, take a moment to view the large linear artwork on the perforated and printed panels and you’ll see a mass of emus that form mountainlike shapes as they ‘travel across Country’. The form of the emus and their footprints represent the tracing of pathways through the environment, echoing movement and an impression on the landscape.