Birrarung Marr - Melbourne
Immerse yourself in Melbourne's Aboriginal heritage at Birrarung Marr, the city's newest parkland. Situated between Federation Square and the sports precinct of Rod Laver Arena and the MCG, the riverside park completes an almost continuous green belt around the city. The name Birrarung Marr is taken from the language of the Wurundjeri people, the original custodians of the land – birrarung means 'river of mists' and marr is 'side'. Wide open spaces and large sculptured terraces have been designed to host some of Melbourne's best events and festivals and they are also popular spots for a picnic. The park is home to the children's creative workshop Artplay, as well as some excellent permanent art installations. Proximities is a sound installation which lends a unique dimension to the William Barak Bridge. Pedestrians enter a sonic corridor of voice recordings of people from the 53 Commonwealth nations represented in Australia. Central to the work are the voices of the Wurundjeri people. Each person sings a traditional song from his/her background with the voices interwoven to create a continually shifting soundscape. Another arresting work is the Federation Bells - 39 bells programmed to play especially commissioned compositions several times daily.
