Baanj Dayang (Rakali) Wilam sculpture (2024)

  • Artist name(s)Aunty Kim Wandin and Christine Joy
  • Artwork typeScupture
  • Year installed2024

Baanj Dayang (Rakali) Wilam is a sculpture by Indigenous artist Aunty Kim Wandin and Christine Joy featuring a pair of local rakali (water rats), playfully emerging and returning to the water. Ripples etched in concentric circles symbolise the rakali’s eternal connection to the place, as a significant entity in Aboriginal culture. This public artwork celebrates 'Indigenous Cultural Heritage' together with 'local marine life and biodiversity of Port Phillip Bay' at the redeveloped Mentone Lifesaving Club.

The work features a combination of bronze, glass and concrete. The design team worked with Wathaurong Glass, an Aboriginal glass company to design the glass elements which feature Aboriginal iconography depicting rakali footprints and journey lines. The bronze rakali are life-like and life-size presenting the rakali’s interactions with their aquatic environment.

About the rakali

Baanj dayang is the Woi-wurrung name for aquatic animal, commonly known as the rakali (water rat). The rakali, Hydromys chrysogaster, means 'water mouse with golden belly'. The word 'rakali' itself is from Ngarindjeri language which is the land around the Victorian/ South Australia border, including the Coorong.

Rakali are one of Australia's largest rodents, characterised by webbed hind feet, white-tipped tail, long blunt nose, thick waterproof fur, and a tail that acts as a rudder when swimming. They can be found residing in rock crevices in marine and freshwater habitats across Australia, avoiding the more arid environments. As an apex predator, the rakali plays an important role in stabilising their local, natural ecological systems, signifying resilience and regeneration. The main threats to the rakali now are habitat alteration, swamp drainage and predation by introduced animals such as cats and foxes. Ongoing protection, enhancement and care for the surrounding coastal and marine areas will help keep the Rakali’s habitat thriving.

The rakali represents many concepts including playfulness and fun. This is depicted within Baanj Dayang (Rakali) Wilam as the rakalis emerge and return to the water to chase one another.

About the project

There is ongoing support for the depiction of Indigenous cultural heritage along the Bay by the local Kingston community. During the feedback collected on the ‘Your Kingston Your Say’ platform in July and August of 2020 for artistic themes to be explored along the Bay Trail, ‘Indigenous Cultural Heritage’ featured amongst the most popular topic supported, along with the ‘The local marine life and biodiversity of Port Phillip Bay’.

Kingston Arts is excited to have partnered with Indigenous artist Aunty Kim Wandin and artist Christine Joy to deliver a public artwork that celebrates these themes at the redeveloped Mentone Lifesaving Club, 64 Bay Trail, Mentone 3194.

Artists Aunty Kim Wandin and Christine Joy collaborated on this project with Public Art Specialist James Voller (Collide Public Art).

During the concept development stage, the artists collaborated with Palawa artist Amanda Wright to incorporate sketches of the Rakali into the design of the sculpture.

Acknowledgements

  • Aunty Kim Wandin and Chrisine Joy: concept and design
  • Collide Public Art: project management
  • Natalie Ryan: plasticine modelling
  • Fundere Foundry: bronze casting
  • Eric Holmes (Skyview Industries): fabrication & installation
  • Georg Ramm: rakali photography
  • Amanda Wright: rakali sketches
  • Landscaping: Jeavons.

Location

Mentone Lifesaving Club, Beach Road (opposite Kitchener Street), Mentone 3194  View Map

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