Inspiring Aboriginal artwork created for Kings Park
The design of a new, temporary mural at Kings Park’s Kaarta Gar-up lookout is inspired primarily by Eucalypt trees.
Created by local artist Kamsani (Kam) Bin-Salleh, this impressive Aboriginal artwork was commissioned to mark the beginning of 60th anniversary celebrations for the Western Australian Botanic Garden, which reaches this milestone in 2025.
Kam, a Perth (Boorloo) based Ballardong Noongar artist with connections to the Nimunburr and Yawuru people of the Kimberley, worked with Kings Park botanists and horticulturists while concepting the artwork.
“It was very hard to pick one species to champion the area, so I tried to reflect the tree canopies, as well as including some macro examples of the leaves that fall.”
The Eucalyptus blossoms depicted in the artwork are designed to resemble the Southern Cross constellation, accompanied by the two pointer stars.
The arrangement, emblematic of the stars in the southern hemisphere skies, creates a navigational tool, symbolising how Eucalypts and other plants were used as navigational tools by the Noongar people.
Funding for the project was provided by Tourism WA’s Jina: Western Australian Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan.
