spirit: Designer Judy Atkinson, project co-ordinator Ken Hull and designer Clive Atkinson. Picture: Lachlan Bence
TWO large boulders etched with an eagle and a crow will be the entrance to the $200,000 Dreamtime Cemetery under construction at the Ballarat New Cemetery.
The bunjil, or eagle, is the creation spirit of the Wadawurrung while the waar, or crow, is its totem.
A dry wall will encompass the burial site, which will have more than 300 plots, while its path will be embedded with another Wadawurrung totem, the platypus.
Creators Clive and Judy Atkinson of Echuca were yesterday in Ballarat visiting the 75-by-35 metre site.
“They are doing a marvellous job here,” Mr Atkinson said.
The Atkinsons have already designed a similar Dreamtime space in Echuca which has won state and national tourism awards.
The project is being completed by a nine-member crew which has learnt invaluable landscaping skills, according to Finding Futures project co-ordinator Ken Hull.
“They are all pretty enthused about it,” Mr Hull said.
“We are starting on the rock wall, which will go most of the way around it, and we’ve just installed the two big feature rocks.”
He said the project, which will also serve as an education space for Ballarat people and visitors, should be completed within six months.
Finding Futures chief executive officer Bryan McCormick said the company was working hard to ensure its other business units were continuing to grow following the recent conclusion of its disability employment services contract.
“The Futures Christmas Tree Farm, Futures Property Services and projects with Sovereign Hill, Ballarat City Council and the Aboriginal Cemetery project are all trading well,” Mr McCormick said.
He said Finding Futures had more than 40 people facing barriers to employment either working or gaining work experience with these businesses.
