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Riverside Walk

Riverside walk showing a view of the river and Lennox Bridge

Imagine following a big wide pathway where even the ground you walk on is filled with colour and meaning… Parramatta River foreshores is home to a vibrant new Indigenous artwork covering the path winding from Charles St Ferry Wharf to Lennox Bridge. Known as Riverside Walk, the artwork follows the history of the region and its people from an Aboriginal perspective.

Location

Riverside Walk is minutes away from Parramatta's central shopping and dining precinct. It runs upstream from the Charles Street Ferry Wharf where charming Indigenous ‘Welcome’ sculptures greet Rivercat passengers arriving from Sydney Harbour. A ten-minute stroll later, it finishes up outside Parramatta Heritage Centre by Lennox Bridge, at 346 Church Street, Parramatta. Three overhead bridges traversing the pathway provide great viewing.

Design

The bold colours of the pathway are stunning against Parramatta River’s reflections. Aboriginal artist Jamie Eastwood designed the path to reflect this natural river environment. "Apart from providing cultural education, I hope that the pathway will provide something beautiful that will flow with the environment, encouraging pedestrians to follow its journey," he said.

The journey winds past native trees and grasses before ending at a reconciliation soundscape outside Parramatta Heritage Centre. The soundscape uses music and natural sounds created by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to convey memories and ideas about the region.

Throughout the journey, plaques help explain the 12 major components of the work. The work is mainly aimed at recognising the Burramatagal people and neighbouring Aboriginal clans that occupied the area for thousands of years before European settlement. The pathway’s shape reflects the winding river, and the ‘sinuous’ movement of eels. The word ‘Parramatta’ originates from the local Aboriginal word for 'Place where the eels lie down'.

The early stage of the path depicts the river's natural resources, including abundant fish and plant life. Later, it traces how Indigenous people perceived the arrival of outsiders. The careful planting of native flora like Cabbage Gum and the Tall Sedge interprets the landscape reported by Governor Phillip, when he explored the upper reaches of the river in 1788 in search of fertile farmland to support the new colony.

Construction

Designed and managed by the local Parramatta City Council, with funding assistance from NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, the pathway is the result of years of careful planning. Social, artistic, landscaping and engineering experts were consulted to ensure the pathway was suited to the unique landscape. Factors like river flooding, weather changes and friction texture were considered when deciding what paints and material were used. The design and layout of flora, public seating, lighting, plaques and other landscape works were also carefully designed to fit in with the environment.

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