Nyingarn Bidi

“Echidna’s Path”, uses nature’s canvas to tell a story deeply connected to the land around Oats Street Station. At the koort (heart) of the piece is the Nyingarn (echidna),  totem for the Beeloo Noongar people. It burrows into boodjar (earth)—its home. The Nyingarn’s quills form a bidi (path) shaped like a mia-mia (shelter), symbolizing the warmth and protection once provided by Mundee, a respected Beeloo leader. To bring this vision to life, I crafted the quills using ephemeral art prints from Biara (slender banksia) leaves, which I digitized—a method to preserve our stories in the digital age. Biara was chosen for its strength and resilience, regenerating after fire, echoing the enduring power of ngala kaalak—our home.