Dandenong South has been brought to life by mini parks established at Greens Road and Abbotts Rd, marking the end of the level crossing replacements.
The Level Crossing Removal Project unveiled the mini parks, which feature landscaping, tree planting and sculptures of the First Nations with their stories shared by the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.
First Peoples’ engagement advisor Kat Rodwell said the mini parks will provide an opportunity for the community to learn about the rich history of the area.
“By walking through these spaces, the hope is the community can see the artwork and hear Bunurong stories and imagine Bunurong women collecting food such as berries and nuts, singing, laughing and sharing stories – that’s the experience we want people to have,” Ms Rodwell said.
The design of the artwork was also inspired by the stories of the First Nations, which was created by the husband and wife duo, Jackie and Gary Roberts, from Mara Metal Work.
“I think it’s fantastic to see Aboriginal work in public places, it’s great for Aboriginal people and it’s great for the public to see our work as well,” Ms Roberts said.
Committed to a healthy environment, the level crossing removal project planted 650 semi-mature trees, 40,000 tube-stock trees and 220,000 shrubs in these mini parks and, further south, along the new 4.25km shared-use path that connects Lynbrook, Merinda Park and Cranbourne stations.
