Bespoke signs explain Indigenous features

MRPV Senior Project Engineer Matt Armitstead with one of the signs. (supplied)

Walkers and cyclists on Barwon Heads Road’s shared path will notice eye-catching bespoke structures that were designed to help understand the area’s environment and Indigenous cultural heritage.

One of the signs is beside Belmont’s Jerringot wetland and the other is near the rail line bridge at Marshall.

Both locations were chosen for their proximity to a variety of the special features, which helps with context, to make understanding the relevance of each feature easier.

The signs, designed in collaboration with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC), highlight the new features on the road upgrade, which are a legacy of Major Road Project Victoria’s (MRPV) partnership with WTOAC.

MRPV engaged WTOAC to incorporate informed, meaningful Wadawurrung design in the upgrade and to improve connections with the Wadawurrung’s living cultural heritage and communities.

“We hope all who journey on the path can stop and take time to read the Wadawurrung knowledge shared and connected to the art that depicts stories of our Country,” a Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation spokesperson said.

“The new signage structures were specially designed to help the community understand the many special art and design features of the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade – Stage 1, which incorporate colour, symbols and language from Wadawurrung Indigenous cultural heritage,” Major Road Projects Victoria Senior Project Engineer Matt Armitstead said.

“The features are a legacy of Major Road Projects Victoria’s (MRPV) collaboration on the upgrade with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC).”

More information about stages 1 and 2 is available at bigbuild.vic.gov.au/roads.