How Language Was Communicated to the Water Birds

Displayed through an illuminated ceiling installation on the ceiling of the foyer of the Ballina BP Travel Centre on the Pacific Motorway, this beautiful public artwork by Marcus Ferguson tells the story of how language was communicated to the water birds of the Ballina area.

In the story, Babarra, the creator spirit, instructs Jungar (the Pelican) to gather all the birds — Swan, Brolga, Duck, Stork, and many more — at a sacred place. There, Babarra gives sound to the Bundjalung language, passing it to the birds to carry to the people of the area. All waterbirds have a special meaning for the Bundjalung language as they are the carriers of the spirit message.

The artwork also acknowledges Yuralba (Duck Creek) — meaning "many ducks sitting on the bank". Near this site are the nearby pathways through the valley once used by Aboriginal people for seeking Cedar. Ceremonial grounds and Bora rings used to exist here, many mobs lived on camps on either side of the creek and valley.

Marcus Ferguson is a Nyangbul Goorie artist from Ballina and Cabbage Tree Island who has been painting for more than 25 years. His works celebrate cultural birds, animals, and stories from the lower Richmond River region, honouring Country and keeping traditional knowledge alive through contemporary art.