Designing
Connecting with Country Reports
Yarrawalk is aligned to the Connecting to Country principles, as outlined by the Office of the Government Architect, NSW. Striving to develop a ‘stronger presence’ for Aboriginal culture in the NSW planning system, our Connecting with Country Reports, also known as Designing with Country Reports, seeks to incorporate the unique systems of knowledge and ways of being that First Nations peoples have, to the design and planning space.
Essentially, Connecting with Country Reports allows for mobs, who have been caring for Country in a sustainable way, to sensitively pass on their stories and share their knowledge, for the benefit of future generations. Shared cultural knowledge provides practical ways for government, planners, designers and industry to directly embed First Nations culture into the built form of new precincts, schools, residential buildings, and more.
Rydalmere Education Precinct
Burramutta Nura (Parramatta Country), Rydalmere, NSW
CLIENT: School Infrastructure NSW
COLLABORATORS: Colliers & NBRS
STATUS: completed on time
YEAR: commenced in March 2022 – March 2023
ABOUT: Yarrawalk was engaged by Colliers on behalf of Schools Infrastructure NSW, to undertake a Connecting with Country assessment for the development of Rydalmere Education Precinct on Burramutta Nura (Parramatta Country).
OUR ROLE: Yarrawalk’s role in this project involved an initial data collection and consultation stage. Yarrawalk worked collaboratively with the design team and facilitated two Walk on Country workshops (shown below), whereby Register Aboriginal Parties, were able to consult with the design team and review design proposals. This stage was then followed by an extensive assessment phase, upon which a final Connecting with Country report was delivered. This report explored many themes relevant to Burramutta Nura which were able to be used by the design team with great success.
