About the garden

Bujari Gamarruwa (Good Day)

Waraburra Nura is a public medicinal plant garden at UTS, developed by UTS ART in partnership with Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research (JIIER). Established in 2018, the garden is located on level 6 of the UTS Tower.

Waraburra Nura (Happy Wanderer’s Place) is a space for visitors to connect to Country in an urban environment. The garden utilises combination planting, an Indigenous agricultural practice which enhances the rich medicinal value of each plant. All of the plants in Waraburra Nura are native to Wa’ran (Sydney) and have been cultivated by Darug, D’harawal and Gadigal peoples for generations.

Waraburra Nura was conceived as a living resource to foster greater understanding of Indigenous Knowledges from the Sydney region and plays an important role in interpreting the work of Indigenous artists in the UTS Art Collection. Learning programs  – including workshops, talks and tours – are led by Alice McAuliffe, Coordinator, Learning and Projects, UTS ART and D’harawal Indigenous Education Consultant Shannon Foster.

This initiative has benefited from the knowledge of many individuals, including D’harawal Senior and botanist Aunty Fran Bodkin, whose research on medicinal plants was essential to the foundation and development of the garden, website and the associated resources; Yamatji/Wajarri artist and designer Nicole Monks who conceived of its layout and design; and Yuin Senior Uncle Bruce Pascoe, who advised on edible plants and Indigenous agricultural practices.

For more information about the people who built Waraburra Nura, follow the link below:

Contributors

 

Coordinator, Learning and Projects, UTS ART Alice McAuliffe with D’harawal Senior and botanist Aunty Fran Bodkin