FOLLOWING SULLIVAN'S: LEARNING COUNTRY

  Curated walks through Ngunnawal country along manang Sullivan's

Follow Sullivan's: Learning Country a collaborative exploration, responding to and creatively documenting Sullivan’s Creek. An opportunity to brings together a multi-disciplinary collective to learn about, listen, investigate, discuss, photograph, write, measure, draw ,compose or otherwise document what they discover during these journeys.
Looking at this creek in its entirety, we are exposed to a big picture view of our treatment and relationship to our waterways and the greater story these waterways can tell about the impact of colonialism on Country.
Following Sullivan's a call to discover, celebrate and re-imagine the possibilities of a renewed relationship with water and Country.

An evidence/data building project were 20 participants where drawn from a wide range of fields, including but not limited to art, music, ecology, environmental sciences, literature, community development, urban studies, public policy to participate in three partially curated walks along Sullivan’s creek. The foundation for each walk, respected Ngunnawal elders leading the way, sharing Ngunnawal knowledge and stories of Country their choice. Guided by the cultural knowledge and generosity of Uncle Wally Bell and Aunty Karen, the participants where invited to collaboratively (re)work their expertise to unearth the water scapes and water connections that existed before colonisation and (re)imagine what might have been...

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The participants engage with Sullivan’s Creek in three places, in three forms.

1. Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve: ‘natural’ state at the headwaters.

2. Harris – Mitchell: a modified state including urban sites and industrial suburb with

conventional storm water system.

3. Lyneham Wetlands to ANU: predominately highly modified channel with some retrofit wetlands for water quality control; Sullivan's discharges to Molonglo River/Lake Burley Griffin at ANU.

The three walks were partially curated to incorporate each of the component - arts, culture and science - in participatory research.

Following Sullivan's in this way centres the stream, while highlighting greater truths the water scape can tell about the impact of the colonial-settler project on Country. These critical stories of place are explored through the lens of Indigenous heritage, environment, and culture.