Fourteen local and Noongar artists have created 20 public art pieces across the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project - making it one of the largest public art commissions on a METRONET project. Delivered under the METRONET Public Art Strategy, the artworks reflect Noongar culture and connection to Country and celebrate the unique environment of each of the five stations - welcoming local communities while supporting emerging and established Western Australian artists.
Find out more about the public art on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line from the fact sheet.
Ellenbrook Station
Station-wide skylights
A series of graphically overlaid skylights that explore the connected nature of all living things across the Ellenbrook Line environment. Marcia McGuire explored the Noongar social and ecological linkage of Ellenbrook and Ballajura, while Penelope Forlano focused on the ecological linkage of the flora and fauna for Whiteman Park, Morley and Noranda.
Ellenbrook Station skylights represent Gynning – ‘the place of looking’ for the Whadjuk Noongar People. When travellers wanted to enter Whadjuk Country they would seek permission and those on watch would be looking from this place. They would come down to meet the travellers and if welcomed, a ceremonial chant and dance would take place ensuring safe travels. This ceremony included natural elements such as the balga (grass tree) stump, WA native peppermint leaves and gum tree leaves.
Artwork by Marcia McGuire and Penelope Forlano.
‘The Unity of Life’ - ceramic print on glass.
Concepts Completed artwork
Screens
The circle featured in the screens represents the Gynning - ‘the place of looking’ for the Whadjuk Noongar People and for those entering Whadjuk Country. The lines flowing from the centre to the edges represent the traveller’s journey alongside footprints. The balga’s (grass tree) circular stump, gum tree leaves and peppermint tree represent elements of a traditional smoking ceremony - welcoming, blessing and protecting visitors and travellers from all walks of life – and reflects people coming and going from their homes in Ellenbrook and a sense of safe and swift travels.
Artwork by Marcia McGuire
‘Koorliny Kalil Djarlyininy (coming and going home swiftly)’ - perforated steel screen
Concepts Completed artwork
Screens
‘Here to There’ represents the movement of people in the Ellenbrook area - walking through changing landscapes, trees, bush, riverside and shallow waters, paying respect to the natural environment and acknowledging the custodianship of the Whadjuk Noongar People. The artwork depicts fish arching their bodies to avoid sharp prongs, gilgies snapping at intruding heels and the long neck tortoise spinning through the shadows. Like swirling clouds of mud kicked up in the water, they stream behind a trail of footprints unearthing the mysteries
Artwork by Kamsani Bin-Salleh
'Here to There’ - perforated steel screen
Concepts Completed artwork
Bidi mural
The Waugal is a Noongar dreamtime ancestral serpent who carved rivers, underground waterways and valleys. The mural represents the Ellenbrook Track (Karla Nara Gynning Biddi) and Ellenbrook stream through images of native animals and plants found in the area such as the Western Swamp Tortoise and balgas (grass trees).
Artwork by Nathan Corunna and Darren Hutchens
‘Karla Nara Gynning Bidi (Ellenbrook Track)’ – acrylic paint
Concepts Completed artwork
Entry sculpture
COMING SOON: this sculpture reflects the concept of a ‘meet up’ and commuters meeting and moving through Ellenbrook Station - reimagined through a botanical lens. The design of the three connected forms is influenced by local flora and the neighbouring pine plantations and the forms are crafted using hundreds of layers of steel plates that oxidise and change colour over time.
Artwork by April Pine
‘The Gather’ - weathered steel
View the fact sheet to find out more about public art on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project.
Whiteman Park Station
Station-wide skylights
A series of graphically overlaid skylights that explore the connected nature of all living things across the Ellenbrook Line environment. Marcia McGuire explored the Noongar social and ecological linkage of Ellenbrook and Ballajura, while Penelope Forlano focused on the ecological linkage of the flora and fauna for Whiteman Park, Morley and Noranda.
Whiteman Park Station skylights feature two endemic mammals once in abundance in the region - the Grey Kangaroo and the Woylie. These mammals are illustrated with the abundant Flooded Gum (Colaille or Koolert in Noongar language) reflecting the dynamic and mutual reliance and unity of all living things.
Artwork by Marcia McGuire and Penelope Forlano.
‘The Unity of Life’ - ceramic print on glass.
Concepts Completed artwork
Entry mural
‘Above the Clouds’ features the Wedge-tailed Eagle as an iconic Western Australian bird of prey and a celebrated native species of Whiteman Park. The mural depicts eagles in flight over a background of abstract swamp and stout paperbark leaves and flowers. The deep blue of the eagles represents the sky and the light grey background reflects the subtle colours of the coastal plains within the park and the beauty of the Melaleuca shape and form.
Artwork by Jack Bromell
‘Above the Clouds’ - acrylic paint
Concepts Completed artwork
Underpass mural
Images of traditional Noongar pathways and Whiteman Park’s native flora and fauna represent the ecological and cultural importance of groundwater and the Bennett Brook stream. ‘Seen/Unseen’ explores the connection between water and people in the Bennett Brook catchment. The north wall depicts the underground Gnangara Water Mound (the Unseen) as a subtle side-profile of rock layers and aquifers. This is contrasted with an aerial view of an undrained Bennett Brook stream (the Seen), showing how it may have looked when water was plentiful and local Noongar groups camped and lived off the land. Yellow lines represent the traditional biddi (pathways) that connect the land, water and animals. On the south wall, the same view of the Gnangara Water Mound has become a hidden void overlaid with a present-day map with local roads as the modern pathways of connection.
Artwork by Rohin Kickett and Haylee Fieldes (Fieldey)
‘Seen/Unseen’ - acrylic paint
Concepts Completed artwork
Marker sculptures
Freshwater mussels have been cleaning Perth waterways for over 200 million years and are integral to the health of the environment and the ancient system of renewal. The contribution and significance of the mussels is captured in enlarged white quartz sculptures of freshwater mussels that have a connection to Whiteman Park. The unique shape invites people to stop, observe and breathe, with shadows from the moon laid out on the ground beneath the mussels reflecting time and the starry night sky on the water’s surface.
Artwork by Pip Kelly
‘Freshwater Mussels and Moon Shadows I & II’ - marble concrete, stainless steel, moora stone
Concepts Completed artwork
View the fact sheet to find out more about public art on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project.
Ballajura Station
Station-wide skylights
A series of graphically overlaid skylights that explore the connected nature of all living things across the Ellenbrook Line environment. Marcia McGuire explored the Noongar social and ecological linkage of Ellenbrook and Ballajura, while Penelope Forlano focused on the ecological linkage of the flora and fauna for Whiteman Park, Morley and Noranda.
Ballajura Station skylights represent the area as a place of toolmaking practices: kylee (boomerang), yandi (coolamon), kitj (spears), miro (spear thrower), koorndi (hitting sticks), wanna (women’s digging sticks), woonda (shields) and many more tools and items that were made in this area and used for trading.
Artwork by Marcia McGuire and Penelope Forlano.
‘The Unity of Life’ - ceramic print on glass.
Concepts Completed artwork
Arrival sculptures
‘Moort (family)’ signifies the importance and unity of the Noongar family structure and symbolises the role of the mother, daughter, father and son within the family. The artworks evoke a sense of individualism - as each member has their own responsibilities and roles - but are positioned in pairs to reflect Noongar family bonds. The sculptures integrate the intense yellow tones of Moodjar (Christmas tree) flowers that hold great significance for Noongar People and are used to make sweet water.
Artwork by Peter Farmer and Jason Hirst
‘Moort (Family)’ - marine grade aluminium, painted polyurethane
Concepts Completed artwork
Concourse and facade screens
The circle at the centre of the screen artwork represents Ballajura Station as a place of trading and making of wanna (digging sticks), accessories like dilly bags and bwoka (cloaks) and weapons including woonda (shields) and kitj (spears) used for fishing, hunting, daily life and more. The lines connecting to the inner circle represent the flow of incoming and outgoing trades.
Artwork by Marcia McGuire
‘Maarakool (with the hands)’ - perforated steel screen
Concepts Completed artwork
Concourse and facade screens
‘Anatomy of a Banksia’ takes inspiration from the Banksia trees endemic to the areas around Ballajura Station. Photographs of the Banksia trees, their flowers, leaves and seedpods were used to develop woodblock relief prints that were translated into a perforated steel graphic.
Artwork by Mark Datodi
‘Anatomy of a Banksia’ - perforated steel screen
Concepts Completed artwork
View the fact sheet to find out more about public art on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project.
Noranda Station
Station-wide skylights
A series of graphically overlaid skylights that explore the connected nature of all living things across the Ellenbrook Line environment. Marcia McGuire explored the Noongar social and ecological linkage of Ellenbrook and Ballajura, while Penelope Forlano focused on the ecological linkage of the flora and fauna for Whiteman Park, Morley and Noranda.
Lightning Swamp near Noranda Station is an extensive nature reserve with rare flora and water birds. The station’s skylights feature illustrations of the Eastern Great Egret and Australasian Darter camouflaged within native bulrush (Yandyait in Noongar language).
Artwork by Marcia McGuire and Penelope Forlano.
‘The Unity of Life’ - ceramic print on glass.
Concepts Completed artwork
Facade screens
Inspired by the beauty of the natural world and the idea of embarking on a journey, ‘Dance, repeat, dance’ captures wildlife seamlessly moving through their natural habitat. Striking graphic elements symbolise travel, motion and change and these themes echo the hustle and bustle of commuting and mass movement.
Artwork by Kyle Hughes-Odgers
‘Dance, repeat, dance’ - perforated steel screen
Concepts Completed artwork
Artist impression of facade screens at Noranda Station entrance
Underpass mural
‘Entwined Ecosystems’ celebrates the two important but threatened ecosystems of Lightning Swamp - the Wetlands and the Banksia Woodlands - coming together to live cohesively. Featured throughout are flora, birds and insects including the pollinators (bees and moths) that play a small but vital part of these ecosystems. The background features the teals of the wetlands, the dark grey sand on which Noranda is built and the air, wind and water weaving throughout.
Artwork by Melski + Lilsiski
‘Entwined Ecosystems’ - acrylic paint
Concepts Completed artwork
View the fact sheet to find out more about public art on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project.
Morley Station
Station-wide skylights
A series of graphically overlaid skylights that explore the connected nature of all living things across the Ellenbrook Line environment. Marcia McGuire explored the Noongar social and ecological linkage of Ellenbrook and Ballajura, while Penelope Forlano focused on the ecological linkage of the flora and fauna for Whiteman Park, Morley and Noranda.
Morley Station skylights illustrate the native Western Tiger Snake (Mooyop in Noongar language) and Marbled Gecko (Bibdjool in Noongar language) with the Prickly Bark tree (Dwutta in Noongar language).
Artwork by Marcia McGuire and Penelope Forlano.
‘The Unity of Life’ - ceramic print on glass.
Concepts Completed artwork
Arrival statement pieces
Bold artwork on the car park blade wall, balustrade and perforated screens represents Morley’s history and multiculturalism. The MORLEY lettering references the iconic Morley Market signage intertwined with images of edible plants such as the Curry Leaf Tree, bananas and olives to show the influence of Morley’s multicultural community. Iconic Morley sites and experiences are included such as the Boans department store, Galleria, Wirrina Drive-In theatre, Morley Rollerdrome and the Morley seal sculpture, as well as historical images of Morley residents from State Archives and personal collections.
Artwork by Haylee Fieldes (Fieldey)
‘Morley Greatest Hits Mixtape’ - acrylic paint, perforated steel screen
Concepts Completed artwork
View the fact sheet to find out more about public art on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project.
Bayswater Station
Mural
Engaging with Bayswater residents, artist Joanna Lamb will create a mural that features vignettes of plants and flowers from local gardens and wild bird life from the area, all expressed through lines, forms and colours.
Artwork by Joanna Lamb
View the fact sheet to find out more about public art on the Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project.