environment. For a long time, our activities had been directed towards seeing a wetland built between Tapleys Hill Road and the sea, so that clean water could enter Gulf St Vincent. We suggested that artist Indiana James create these sculptures. After several informal chats with the major stakeholders, WACRA submitted a formal submission to council and secured $20,000 for the project. A competition, driven by council, was held to decide names for the two pelicans. It transpired that everybody knew June and Bernie Phillips from West Beach, a couple no longer with us but in their day they were local beachcombers and coastal custodians. Bernie had been a local councillor. Larger than life size, Bernie and June, our two pelicans, were installed on tall posts, facing each other on opposite banks of the Torrens’ Outlet. You could speculate that they are having a conversation as they were known to do, hoping perhaps that clean water might flow from the river’s mouth one day. The pelicans are often visited by their feathered friends on top of the vacant poles.
Spot the real pelicans (Bernie in the left photo, June on left pole in photo on right) Mosaic Stepping Stones 2009
If you venture down the banks of the River Torrens near the Kidman Bridge on Henley Beach Road, you will see a pathway of mosaics representing various species of life found in the River Torrens valley. It is named the Biodiversity Pathway. This was another WACRA and Charles Sturt Council initiative, although we also joined with West Torrens Council. We used the same process, applying for funding, advertising, recruiting interested people, gaining access to land and waterways, workshopping with artists from the Sea House at Glenelg, and providing educational resources.
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