Adelaide City Council

WIRRANENDI: PARK 23

INTERPRETIVE TRAIL

Silvio Apponyi Martin Corbin

May 2011

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Wirranendi

Walk the Wirranendi Trail look up into silhouettes of branches where magpies sing tidings cross the dry plain Travel between rocks witness the abyss follow your self in close your eyes still your mind for a while moon floats high in a white sky swallow memory and learn The wind chases spirits through here

Kimberley Mann

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CONTENTS Wirranendi Poem 2

Design Team 4

Conceptual vision 5

Site Overview 6

Artworks

1. Albatross Rock 7

2. Trail stones 8

Trail stones: background 9

3. FIRE 11

4. WIND 12

5. Cat Sculpture 13

6. Possum 7. Wood Ducks 14

8. WATER 15

9. EARTH 16

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DESIGN TEAM

Principals Silvio Apponyi Sculptor Martin Corbin Consultant artist, designer Collaborators Shereen Rankine Artist, Kaurna-Ngarrunga and Ngarrindjeri heritage

Debbie Saegenschnitter Landscape Architect David Zhu Graphic Designer Emerging Artists John Nelson Sculptor Sally Wickes Sculptor Kimberley Mann Poet

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CONCEPTUAL VISION

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SITE OVERVIEW

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1. ALBATROSS ROCK

Inspiration for the albatross rock was taken from photographs by US artist Chris Jordan of dead albatross chicks on Midway island. Close to a massive build up of floating plastic in the Pacific – the ‘Pacific Gyre’, these chicks have fallen victim to their parents’ mistaken attempts to find them food. The plastic found in the carcasses of these young chicks, are horribly familiar in our homes, our parks and our waterways. Indeed, the items used in the making of this bronze were picked up by Silvio over two walks along a country road near Balhannah.

With this piece we are trying to bring home the fact that we are all interconnected and our actions however inadvertent have a real effect on the environment. It’s a plea for personal responsibility.

Martin Corbin

bronze by Silvio Apponyi For further information, please refer to the website of Chris Jordan www.chrisjordan.com

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2. TRAIL STONES

Trail stones have been installed to mark the route with relief carvings relating to Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. These are suitable for making rubbings as an educational extension to the trail. Information on the rocks is limited but should be used as a key for further research and consideration. The subjects are listed below with their significance expanded on in the following pages.

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TRAIL STONES - BACKGROUND

FIRE Significance

1a Fire Germinated Hakeas, like many other native seed pods open and are stimulated to grow a fter a fire

1b Xanthorrhoea The Xanthorrhoea or grass tree flowers a fter a fire and provides native bees, animals and even people with a good source of nectar for a speedy recovery

2 Witchetty Grubs Witchetty grubs, along with many other animals burrow deeply into trees or the ground to escape fire.

3 Eastern Brown Snake I f they cannot escape from them, snakes evade fire by hiding under rocks or in the burrows o f other animals

4 Black Kites Kites opportunistically hunt at the edge o f a fire catching prey trying to escape the flames

6 Traditional tool ‘Fire stick farming' is a term used to describe Aboriginal practices o f burning scrub to both flush out animals and stimulate new growth to attract more in the future. Kaurna people also used fire for cooking, bending timber, melting resins, for light, heat and to keep mosquitoes at bay.

WIND Significance

1a Pollination: Kangaroo Grass All grasses, like this local Kangaroo Grass, Themeda triandra are wind pollinated. Wheat, rye, oats and barley are all grasses so wind pollination is very important to our food supply.

1b Wind Dispersal: She-oaks The winged seeds of the she-oaks – Allocasuarina sp. allow them to be widely dispersed by the wind. The sound of the wind in their unique foliage is very calming.

2 Spiderlings Breezes help disperse spiderlings, baby spiders that use a single silk thread as a 'balloon' or 'bridge' to be blown to a fresh habitat

3 Tasting the air As well as a good sense o f smell and taste, lizards have a unique 'vomeronasal' organ in the mouth, which helps to detect movement and prey

4 Wagtail Birds understand and use air currents and wind in flight. Insects, smaller and less powerful are more at the mercy of the wind and easily disorientated and caught in the turmoil created by the wagtails’ flicking tail.

5 Long-eared Bat Mammals have also adapted to flight. Insect eating bats, fl ying at night consume vast numbers o f mosquitoes and other insects, using a form o f sonar, rather than sight to locate them.

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WATER Significance

1 Abundance Water is critical to all life - the abundant growth around the water here demonstrates its importance in the environment. A variety o f micro-environments create unique habitats for all kinds of li fe.

2 Dragonflies Dragonflies feed on other insects like mosquitoes. They lay eggs in water and spend most o f their lives- sometimes years - in water in the form o f nymphs. When ready, the nymphs climb up plant stems, and the dragonfly emerges from within the skin of the nymph.

3 Frogs: Lymnodynastes tasmaniensis

Frogs are amphibious - they grow as eggs and tadpoles in water, but once adult they are as happy in water as on land. They breathe through their thin, soft skin so they continue to need a moist environment for protection. Frogs are very susceptible to pollution and unclean waterways threaten their existence.

4 Yabbies Yabbies are freshwater cray fish that feed on rotting matter at the bottom o f the water. They are well adapted to the Australian climate and will bury metres down in the mud in times o f drought, to re-emerge maybe years later when the rains return.

5 Moorhens Moorhens and coots live at the water's edge. They are omnivorous - they feed on plants and small animals. Their long toes assist in walking over so ft ground and floating plants.

6 Resources Traditionally Aboriginal people collect grasses and reeds from wetland areas to weave into baskets, mats and even clothing. Wetlands also provided an abundant supply o f food and medicinal plants.

EARTH Significance

1a Bridge to the Sky There is more below ground o f a Eucalyptus tree than is visible above. Even smaller trees are large enough to harbour their own micro-environments, sustaining individual communities o f plants, fungi and animals.

1b Kangaroo Thorn Kangaroo thorn, the Acacia paradoxa is very prickly. It makes a good home for bandicoots and other small animals where they are protected from introduced predators such as foxes and cats.

1c Fungi Fungi are neither plants nor animals. They feed on decaying matter and are largely responsible for breaking down dead animals and plants into compost. The parts we see, the fruiting bodies are only a very small part o f the organism which extends throughout the earth in thin filaments.

2 Trapdoor spider Many animals gain security and protection from burrowing in the earth. Some trapdoor spiders cover their holes with an extremely well camouflaged lid. Adelaide trapdoors are not dangerous to humans.

5 Echidna Ants and termites are plenti ful even in the driest areas. Echidnas have adapted long noses and tongues and powerful digging claws to feed on them and other insects.

6 Bush Tucker The Aboriginal people found all they needed to eat in the bush. Acacia seeds were roast and ground to make a highly nutritious flour. An old bush tucker trail can be found in this area.

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3. FIRE

The fire sculpture was conceived and created by artist Shereen Rankine. It is her contemplation of the significance of fire through her understanding of this environment and her Kaurna-Ngarrunga and Ngarrindjeri heritage. An artist’s statement will follow.

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4. WIND

The Wind sculptures reflect ideas about the effects of wind as a dynamic physical element and in the metaphoric sense as a bringer of change. They particularly relate to sensing movement and shifts brought by the wind. The sculptures are designed to invite an experience of wind as a tangible presence. It is an unseen energy which is made visible as it sways trees, lifts seeds, litter, swallows on the wing, pushes dust up and pulls clouds along. Wind becomes audible through its interactions; creaking branches, whispering through leaves, calling between rocks. It transmits the roar of traffic and quiet conversations of frogs. Wind carries the scents and tastes of the land; dry dust, diesel from trains, wet eucalyptus after rain. From gale force to a feather light touch the presence of wind evokes a response. Consider the possible responses to the physical and metaphoric winds of change. When is it best to be steadfast, push against the wind, seek shelter, be flexible or let go? The sculptures invite you to connect with a deeper sensing of wind as an energetic presence. Be still, listen and notice what messages it brings. Think of the changes that have already come and gone in this place and what might you wish for this land in years to come. Pause, breathe, stand and wonder at the wind's ability to shape and sculpt the sky, water, landscapes and history.

Sally Wickes, April 2011

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5. CAT SCULPTURE

Cats inhabit many urban households as pets and affectionate companions, but their owners sometimes forget that even the tamest retain feral hearts. Cats are responsible for decimating much of Australia’s small fauna, including that remnant which still inhabits the Adelaide metropolitan area. It is to be hoped that this sculpture will prompt responsible cat owners to monitor and control their pets at all times and also to work for the reduction of the feral population.

John Nelson

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6. POSSUM Rock

Possums are one of the success stories of adaptation to the urban environment and are familiar inhabitants of our suburban streets and parks. This possum sits high on a rock, lording over the park and acting as a signpost for the track at this point, where the formal path ends.

Silvio Apponyi

7. WOOD DUCKS or Maned Geese

Wood ducks (Chenoneta jubata) are vegetarians, grazing on green grasses and plants along the edges of wetlands. They are the vector which spread water plants of all sorts. Undigested seeds pass through the ducks and are deposited wherever they wander. The bullrushes that make the water area in Wirranendi, attractive to visitors came from the wood ducks faecal material deposited in the pond. As well as this direct method of spreading plant life, as the ducks wander along the edges of the ponds and wetlands, they get mud on their feet which can contain eggs of various water insects, fish eggs etc. These remain on their feet until they re-enter water, which may be the next water hole along a creek, above a waterfall, or after a flight to the next body of water they visit. This does, I think, make them one of the most important of the wetland species. This positive influence on the riverine environment is celebrated by a bronze sculpture of two wood ducks mounted on a low rock in the Water area of the park. This sculpture is positioned close to the swamp area which is seasonally flooded so they will be sometimes surrounded by water - a breeding refuge in a figurative sense.

Silvio Apponyi

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8. WATER The Water sculpture rock addresses the aquatic environment. It features the life cycle of frogs on one side with other pond species they live with. The main frog depicted here will be the Spotted Grass Frog Lymnodynastes tasmaniensis, as I remember catching these in the creek at Wirranendi as a teenager before the landscaping was done. At the rear of the rock will be a selection of the water species - mudeyes, water boatmen, mosquito larvae etc. with common aquatic vegetation such as reeds and bullrushes. There is a diving duck on this side of the rock and some lines of poetry from Kimberley Mann. Complementing the carving and subject matter, the Water rock will also feature four bronze frogs, an additional element to engage and delight.

Silvio Apponyi

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9. EARTH

The EARTH area is an area of discovery for both casual and organized educational visits. In the vicinity of a central gathering stone are 10 ‘discovery rocks’ with life-sized bronzes of some of the smaller fauna which could be found in the park. If you look carefully, you can find them. Species that can be found at the discovery area include 1. Marbled Gecko Christinus marmoratus 2. Common froglet Crinia signiferera 3. Scorpion Uradocus sp. 4. Mouse Spider –Missulena reflexa 5. Gould’s wattled bat - Chalinolobus gouldii 6. Tiger Beetle - Helea ingens 7. Pie Plate Beetle - Catadromus australis 8. Boisduval's autumn moth - Oenosandra boisduvalii, 9. Golden Stag beetle - Lamprima aurata 10. Huntsman - Isopeda sp. Precise placement of the discovery rocks avoids vulnerable areas of regeneration, both natural and planted, of indigenous bush species. Please avoid walking on loose mulch around shrubs and trees as this is the habitat of the living native fauna and seasonal plants such as native orchids. The old bush tucker trail winds through the scrub from here to the FIRE area, acknowledged by a sign at the centre Parklands Trail. Some of the original plantings – saltbush, acacias etc. are still to be found along here.

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10. POEM ROCK

At the Parklands Trail break in the centre of the interpretive trail is the Poem Rock. Here the poem Wirranendi by Kimberley Mann provides focus and a point of engagement for people passing through.

“Poetry exists in particular relationship to nature, animals, plants and the land. It is capable of rich description and exploration of the natural environment. Expressing ideas, moods, and themes it honours intuition and deep knowledge through words. Acting as a powerful catalyst for change, it may inspire readers to explore and discover new meanings. My words address the complex interrelationships between plants and animals, landscapes and weather, human beings and the natural world. I sought to highlight contrasts and the playful nature of healthy ecosystems. The sculptures and poetry have been developed through an intricate collaborative process so that the works complement one another. They create an interactive, thought provoking, mood evoking path for learning as you travel through this beautiful place. The poetry carved into the rocks invites you take yourself into places of awe and wonder.”

Kimberley Mann