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 Patyegerang 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 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 Aunty Lola’s bridge and marvel at the giant colourful shell patterns while also taking in the view of our own 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 smart-phone unlock a selection of audio and video animations that interpret stories relevant to Walsh Bay.