Please note the information on the Wurundjuri Woi Wurrung seasons is still being collated by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. Walan-walan is based on known animal presence at certain times of the year.

The Artists

Fiona Clarke ~ Born in Warrnambool, South West Victoria, 1963, Fiona is a Kirrae Whurrong Aboriginal woman. For over 30 years Fiona has depicted her Aboriginal culture through the visual arts, including tapestry, painting, public art and through children’s literature. Fiona has created a variety of artworks using uncomplicated symbols, juxtaposed against rich earthy backgrounds and colours, producing vibrant contemporary works of art.

Today she is quite well known, and her work is in collections nationally and internationally. More recently her focus is on public arts and has been commissioned to create works in Warrnambool, Colac, Camperdown, Terang, and Melbourne. Visit Fionaclarke.com.au to see more of her amazing work.

Kenneth McKean ~ Ken is a non-Aboriginal artist and has been practicing art for close to 30 years. His work has changed over the years from early days where he worked in watercolour and pencil drawing inspired by his mother and Grandmother. Later he became interested in Surrealism. Living in the bush for some time Ken was inspired by nature and painted a lot of bush scenes.

Over the years he has done many collaborations with his wife Fiona Clarke (a Kirrae Whurrong Aboriginal artist). They work as a team particularly in public arts. Currently Ken is enjoying playing with the imagination of the millions of years of history. This lies hidden in the faces of the natural rock walls, waterfalls and images from nature. Ken currently lives in Sunshine with his wife and daughter and work from their studio at the Hunt Club.

Project Backstory

The Walan-walan sculpture project came about because we felt there was something missing down on the beautiful Kororoit Creek - something significant, something big, something lasting that honoured and celebrated First Nations Peoples. We wanted to engage with First Nations cultures in a meaningful and artistic way. We were also really interested in animals and plants of significance that would once have been plentiful along these creek banks.

We had also seen that the hard years of Covid had made the creek a much-needed escape for many people - and we wanted to create a safe and special meeting place where people could connect with First Nations cultures and nature.

We threw ideas around and were still finding our way when a lovely fellow called Ken came down to volunteer one day at The Stepping Stones. We got chatting and mentioned we wanted to investigate a sculpture project and Ken said - well…my wife and I are artists who work with sculpture, stone and public art and we’d be interested in the project. It was like the stars had aligned!

It took around 2 years from those first inkling of ideas and chance meeting to completion. Many layers of reshaping the project, consultation, applying for grants, lockdowns, Fiona and Ken doing the hard yakka, logistics of moving the artworks and finally the unveiling. But it was worth it beyond our wildest dreams.

We love these artworks – they feel new and exciting yet ancient and quiet - permanent - like they will last beyond all our lifetimes. People will come and go, the landscape will change, the water will wash over them and the sun will beat down hotter than ever but they will still stand here – carved in stone for thousands of years.  Fiona and Ken have made a wonderful, unique work here and it was our pleasure and great honour to be on this journey with them. Thank you to Fiona and Ken for their generosity, kindness, talent and friendship which we hope will last as long as these stones!

The Friends of Kororoit Creek hope that this project is the first step in many towards reconciliation and our deeper understanding and connection with First Nations cultures and that relationships we have started to build will continue to blossom and grow. We will continue to Be Brave and Make Change for a better future for us all.

Who was involved?

We thank the Elders at the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation for their guidance and consultation and for the naming consultation process which arrived at the beautiful name Walan-walan.

This Friends of Kororoit Creek project was made possible with the generous support and funding from Melbourne Water, Brimbank City Council, Ford Motor Company Fund, The Hunt Club Community and Arts Centre, Bunnings Sunshine and the Metro Tunnel Project’s Rail Network Alliance. Thank you all for believing in the project.

We’d also like to say a big thanks to the offices of Dr Daniel Mulino, to Leanne from Independent Signs Vic, Liz from Studio Hibiscus, Woodlea, Elias and Ephrem from Jim’s Diggers and Beata from Trusty Pet Supplies.

We had a fantastic working team - deepest gratitude to our FOKC team and supporters.

Where is Walan-walan?

Walan-walan is at our Bug Rug site on Kororoit Creek. Google Maps link here. The Bug Rug is one of our beautiful revegetation sites and there is lots of space for kids to play and to have a picnic. Come down and check it out!

The Friends of Kororoit Creek are proud to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which we live and work. We value and respect their deep and continued spiritual and cultural connections to the land, waters and seas, and pay our respects to their Ancestors and Elders past, present and future.