The Gathering Garden

The Gathering GardenConcept Central Coolamon Water Feature The Coolamons Art History – Mrs Alice Todd Art History – Alice Springs Art History – Afghan Cameleers Art History – Olive Pink The Artists The Launch Ceremonial Launch Gathering Garden Guests

Traditionally the coolamon is used to carry babies, food and water. Here in the gathering garden it is used as a metaphor to describe the collection of different cultures and stories.

The four corners of the Gathering Garden each contain a pair of sculpted bronze coolamon forms flipped over to form the seating. As the garden grows, the native plants will provide plenty of shade. Each pair of coolamons encircle a local granite slab, each containing a paragraph on the history of Alice Springs.

Aboriginal Artists Marie Ellis, Michael Nelson, Roseanne Ellis
Aboriginal Artists Marie Ellis, Michael Nelson, Roseanne Ellis

The above artists sit on the coolamon with the granite inscribed tribute to Olive Pink.

Miss Olive Muriel Pink anthropologist and conservationist was an advocate for Aboriginal rights and land rights who lived in Alice Springs from 1935-1975. On Gregory Terrace Pink lived in a hut and grew grape vines, flowers, mandarin, lemon and orange trees. In 1956 Pink established the Australian Arid Regions Native Flora Reserve.

The Gathering Garden, Alice Springs NT
The Gathering Garden, Alice Springs NT

Western Desert – Pitjantjatjara and Luritja languages:
nyinakati ~ come, sit, be (translation)

Arrernte language: arrernelhyaye ~ come, sit, be (translation)

The indigenous languages of Arrernte, Anmatyerr, Warlpiri, Pitjantjatjara and Luritja is represented in the inscription on the bronze cast coolamon seats.
Translation being ‘come, sit, be’.

From the archives © AusEmade Pty Ltd
All artwork © of the respective artists
Source: Alice Spring Town Council


The Gathering GardenConcept Central Coolamon Water Feature The Coolamons Art History – Mrs Alice Todd Art History – Alice Springs Art History – Afghan Cameleers Art History – Olive Pink The Artists The Launch Ceremonial Launch Gathering Garden Guests

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