PROJECT: Ngabu
DATE: 17 January – 27 April 2025
LOCATION: Overhead bridge at corner of Hickson Rd & Pottinger St, Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney NSW 2000, Gadigal Country
CLIENT: Walsh Bay Precinct Association
Climb over this giant Dharawal shell art bridge while taking in the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. Ngabu is up in the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct from 17 January till 27 April 2025.
Ngabu, 2025, public art installation and augmented reality
Artist: Aunty Lola Ryan
Designer: Joey Ruigrok van der Weven
Fabricator: Pink Cactus
Curator / producer: City People
Augmented reality: EyeJack
Walsh Bay is home to some formative stories of Country and First Nations cultural history. From the dreamtime story of Buri-buri the whale; to the many artefacts found in vast middens nearby; through to the first contact story of Patyegarang and William Dawes. Prominent among these stories is the emergence of shell art practices in the nineteenth century.
Aunty Lola Ryan hails from a lineage of esteemed Dharawal shell artists from La Perouse. She has designed Ngabu (Dharawal language for Nan / Grandmother) in homage to the series of shell harbour bridges created by her mother Lola Delia Ryan and her Aunty Mavis Longbottom which are now found in the collections of our prominent cultural institutions (eg: AGNSW, MCA).
With Ngabu, Aunty Lola takes shell art to a new dimension in a giant interactive installation mounted on top of the overhead bridge on Hickson Rd. Climb up and over the arch of this giant Dharawal shell art bridge while also taking in the view of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Ngabu journey continues via an augmented reality treasure hunt around Walsh Bay. Find the shell icons around the foreshore and with your smartphone unlock a selection of audio and video animations that interpret stories relevant to Walsh Bay.
Ngabu, 2025; Walsh Bay, Australia; photo: DCITHS 
Aunty Lola Ryan describing shell harbour bridges made by Lola Delia Ryan and Mavis Longbottom, 2025; Rockdale, Australia; photo: DCITHS 
Shell samples and schematics of Ngabu in the making, 2025; Rockdale, Australia; photo: DCITHS 
Aunty Lola Ryan pointing out details of shell harbour bridges made by Lola Delia Ryan and Mavis Longbottom, 2025; Rockdale, Australia; photo: DCITHS 
Shell samples and schematics of Ngabu in the making, 2025; Rockdale, Australia; photo: DCITHS
Gamay Dancers performing at the launch of Ngabu, 2025; Walsh Bay, Australia; photo: DCITHS 
Uncle Lloyd Walker giving a Welcome to Country at the launch of Ngabu, 2025; Walsh Bay, Australia; photo: DCITHS 
Aunty Lola Ryan delivering a speech at the launch of her artwork Ngabu. Uncle Lloyd Walker is standing behind her, 2025; Walsh Bay, Australia; photo: DCITHS 
Members of the public climb onto Ngabu at its launch, 2025; Walsh Bay, Australia; photo: DCITHS
Win an unforgettable experience at Walsh Bay
Enjoy waterfront views in the heart of Sydney with an overnight stay at Pier One Sydney Harbour. Shake up the body with a suite of dance classes at Sydney Dance Company and wear your values with Bangarra Dance Theatre merchandise. Top it off with double passes to world-class performances by Walsh Bay Arts Precinct’s leading companies – Sydney Theatre Company, Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Dance Company. Your extraordinary journey begins here.
Help Aunty Lola find all three augmented reality shells and complete a survey for your chance to win.
Package includes:
– A night stay with breakfast for two in a Heritage Room at Pier One Sydney Harbour.
– A double pass to 5 dance classes at Sydney Dance Company. Take your pick from 75 classes a week across multiple styles and levels of experience.
– A bespoke merchandise pack by Bangarra Dance Theatre celebrating First Nations storytelling and excellence.
– A double pass to Sydney Dance Company’s monumental triple bill Continuum, featuring works by Rafael Bonachela, Stephen Page and Tra Mi Dinh.
– A double pass to a Sydney Theatre Company production in Walsh Bay
– A double pass to an Australian Chamber Orchestra show from their ACO Presents Series.
Total prize value: $1100
Competition closes 27 April 2025.
Winner to be drawn on Thursday 15 May 2025.
// MAP here
// FULL TERMS & CONDITIONS here
// Image: Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality & Sport
