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A New Creative Journey Begins: ngurrak barring trail launches in the Dandenong Ranges
ngurrak barring is an exciting new arts and culture trail weaving through goranwarrabil (the Dandenong Ranges).
Spanning 39 kms of interconnected walking trails, ngurrak barring (meaning ‘mountain paths’ in Woiwurrung), invites you to explore the natural wonders, creative history and contemporary arts practice inspired by the area.
Anchored by eleven permanent artworks commissioned specifically for the project, five Architectural Nodes, and a rich network of interpretive storytelling, the trail invokes the cultural heartbeat of the Dandenong Ranges and establishes a unique new destination for arts and culture-led tourism.
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Yarra Ranges Council, along with their funding partners, the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments, celebrated the launch of ngurrak barring on Thursday 23 April in Sherbrooke Forest, Kallista.
The project was made possible with support from the Commonwealth Government’s Regional Growth Fund and Community Development Fund and the Victorian Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund.
Senator Lisa Darmanin said she believes ngurrak barring will take its place as one of the must-do visitor experiences in Victoria.
“We know how important tourism is to the local economy in the Dandenong Ranges.
“This experience is sustainable, Indigenous-informed and rooted in the natural environment this area is renowned for, making it a wonderful new addition and additional boost to the tourism economy.
“The launch of this project also means improved accessibility in the community for all community members of all ages and abilities, as ngurrak barring improves safe and accessible pedestrian access to services and schools.”
The launch event honoured the project’s strong partnership with Traditional Owners with a Call to Country by Wurundjeri woiwurrung woman, Chenile Chandler, and a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony with Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO. Formalities were followed with a performance by the Djirri Djirri dancers and artist talks.
Local Member for Monbulk, Daniela De Martino, said ngurrak barring marked an important new chapter for the Dandenong Ranges.
“ngurrak barring brings together culture, creativity and Country and invites people to slow down, connect with the landscape and experience the rich stories that make the Dandenong Ranges so special. It is a project that celebrates this place while bringing real benefits to our local towns and communities and I am very proud to see it launched.”
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Councillor Richard Higgins, also spoke of how important it was for the project to share the stories of the local community.
“The people who live in the Dandenong Ranges feel a deep connection to this place. ngurrak barring was shaped by extensive community engagement. The team worked with Landcare groups, historical societies, community and traders’ groups, local RSLs and CFAs, and so many others.”
“These groups shared their time, knowledge and love for this place and ngurrak barring is stronger because of it.”
“ngurrak barring celebrates the long and continuing history of artists and creatives finding inspiration the Dandenong Ranges – a tradition that is very much alive today in the communities who call these Hills home,” he said.
The trail pays tribute to the extraordinary legacy of artists, activists, writers and creatives who have drawn inspiration from the Dandenong Ranges, a tradition that continues to thrive in the vibrant communities of “the Hills”.
The extensive trail network is segmented into five curated themes: Country, Community, Resilience, Ways of Seeing and Activism. Each theme has its own Architectural Node – collaborative explorations that allow visitors to pause and reflect through an Indigenous lens – crafted by First Peoples design studios Djinjama and COLA Studio.
The project’s new commissions include work from local artists such as sculptor Anton McMurray (Storm Leaves series 1-5) who grew up in Dandenong Ranges, as well as artists with deep connections to the region.
Tiriki Onus’s Thrivance: Then, Now, Next (with Jenna Lee and Jamie Ferguson) weaves together four generations of family history, activism, and creative expression that have taken place here. Artworks like The Reveal (Helen Bodycomb, Cate Kennedy and Aunty Lee-Anne Clarke) and the Land Art, Regeneration – The Listening Place (Jon Tarry, Marti Fooks and James Morton) were directly informed by the landscape they sit within.
Other works along the trail include the Writing ngurrak barring project, curated by Lia Hills. In addition, the extensive interpretative signage delves into this long creative inspiration, including pieces on Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and Edna Walling.
The name ngurrak barring was gifted by Senior Wurundjeri Elder and Indigenous Advisory member Aunty Doreen Wandin-Garvey, acknowledging the Wurundjeri people’s enduring connection to goranwarrabil. Endorsed by Yarra Ranges Council and the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation in 2022. The project was formally known as RidgeWalk.
ngurrak barring | RidgeWalk has been shaped through partnership between Yarra Ranges Council, State and Federal Government, Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Parks Victoria, local residents, artists, businesses, schools and community organisations.
Architectural Node in Revitalised Sassafras Village Green
A new ngurrak barring Architectural Node has now taken its place in the Sassafras Village Green.
Nodes act as resting or meeting points along a trail. Along ngurrak barring, these spaces are enhanced by permanent structures that invite visitors to pause, reflect and connect. Five nodes will be installed across the trail network, each uniquely crafted by First Peoples design studios Djinjama and COLA Studio.
Each node speaks to one of the five themed sections of the wider ngurrak barring trail: Community, Country, Ways of Seeing, Activism and Resilience.
In Sassafras, the node draws inspiration from the theme of Community and features both a shelter and a smaller play structure.
“The mother/aunty and child structures here are a representation of the nurturing, nourishment and guidance of community and Country,” the designers said.
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Yarra Ranges Mayor, Cr Richard Higgins said the site-specific design of the node was a snapshot of the extensive care and detail that went into the wider ngurrak project.
“Projects like ngurrak barring are multifaceted. The arts and culture walk celebrates the long history of creatives inspired by this beautiful region, while also shining a light on the vibrant, contemporary creativity that surrounds us. The ‘Hills’ townships are full of unique businesses, galleries and retail spaces that speak to that ongoing inspiration.”
On Monday, 30 March, the community gathered to celebrate the rejuvenated Village Green. Following formalities, including a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, the Djirri Djirri dancers led children from Sassafras Kindergarten and Primary School, in a dance workshop.
Cr Richard Higgins said the event was a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the many community members and groups who contributed feedback during the project’s engagement phase.
“Extensive community consultation went into the redesign of this important community space,” Cr Higgins said.
“This is the only one of the five nodes that will sit in a township. It was important to make the space work for both residents and visitors. The node will act as a gathering place, shelter and meeting point. Community feedback highlighted the need for power to be connected to the structure to support local events.”
“We also heard how important a play element was, and we’re delighted with the new seating, wider pathways and beautiful landscaping.
“It was an honour to work with the Dandenong Ranges RSL to contribute the new backdrop to the cenotaph.”
Cr Higgins said Council was pleased to see the space already being embraced by locals.
“The local township group will hold their Easter event in the Green this weekend. It’s wonderful to see the community making this space their own.”
The project has also enabled significant infrastructure improvements.
“Alongside the revitalised Village Green, ngurrak barring has upgraded more than 14 kilometres of walking trails and delivered five new pedestrian crossings in the Dandenong Ranges,” Cr Higgins said.
Council’s Major Projects team has also commenced preliminary works on new public toilets opposite the Village Green.
ngurrak barring is a 39‑kilometre arts and culture walking trail through the Dandenong Ranges, featuring eleven permanent artworks, five architectural nodes and storytelling signage along interconnected paths. The project is delivered in partnership with the Federal and State Governments.
Thrivance: Then, Now, Next - Tiriki Onus celebrates four generations of family history
Thrivance: Then, Now, Next is a powerful new sculptural installation located on Pouncd Creek Track in Sherbrooke Forest along the ngurrak barring trail.
This major new public artwork is a collaboration between Tiriki Onus, a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung artist, academic and maker; Jenna Lee, a Larrakia, Wardaman and Karajarri contemporary artist and graphic designer; and Jamie Ferguson of Aeroplane Workshop.
Drawing from the Onus family archive, Thrivance: Then, Now, Next weaves together four generations of family history, activism, and creative expression that have taken place in goranwarrabil (the Dandenong Ranges).
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In the following statement, Tiriki outlines his role in continuing this legacy:
I have the great honour in this space of being a custodian for the stories of my family, my family’s stories here on this Country, which is not ours. Yet, through the love and the diplomacy that have been shown to us by those who speak for this place, we’ve managed to contribute our stories here and the stories of my family and my community, are not just those of resilience or strength, they’re not stories of survival, they are stories of thrivance. I feel quite humbled to be part of this story.
Central to the artwork is a series of sculptural signposts that represent both a tribute to past activism and a statement of ongoing cultural resilience, blending archival materials and diverse art forms with contemporary storytelling.
Some of the signposts pay homage to the legacy of Tiriki’s grandfather William ‘Bill’ Onus, a trailblazing Yorta Yorta activist and artist who founded Aboriginal Enterprises in Belgrave (only a few hundred metres from the site of the work). This vibrant business was not only a highly successful tourist destination, it also became an important and influential cultural and political hub, supporting many artists and activists who came to work there during the 1950s and ‘60s.
The installation also celebrates the life and artistic evolution of Lin Onus, Tiriki’s father, whose pioneering fusion of Aboriginal and European artistic traditions addressed both political and aesthetic themes. The work also references Lin’s organisation of the first ever forced land rights claim in February 1971, which took place in Sherbrooke Forest.
The final pole, left intentionally blank, symbolises an unwritten future, inviting reflection and a sense of possibility as well as acknowledging the next generation of the Onus family.
This work was commissioned by Yarra Ranges Council for ngurrak barring | RidgeWalk, a 39 km interconnected arts and culture trail running through the Dandenong Ranges. The project has delivered 14 km of new and improved walking tracks, pedestrian crossings, permanent sculptures, and heritage interpretation.
The walk connects townships, supports the local economy, and celebrates the creative and cultural significance of the area, that has seen some of Australia’s most significant artists drawing inspiration from the Dandenong Ranges.
ngurrak barring | RidgeWalk is jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments and Yarra Ranges Council.