This work aims to challenge people to look at what happens around them and under them. What happens upstream affects those downstream. Burra, (eels) reflect this in their life cycle, as they move between freshwater and saltwater.

The delicate ecosystem of the hanging swamps found throughout the mountains act as a natural filtration for water. Traditionally, the mining of coal was unheard of; the disturbance of rock and soil forbidden. Natural water springs feed the waterways that snake through the valleys and spill off the mountains, joining the rivers that then empty into the sea. All is related: all interconnected.

The importance of caring for Country was understood to ensure long-term survival. The creeks and waterfalls that exist in this region ran clean and are considered sacred places by the Dharug and Gundungurra. They were once well maintained, devoid of contaminants that exist today and it’s almost impossible to imagine that not so long ago, you could drink directly from the natural waterways here.

My work seeks to shine a light on the relationship Aboriginal people continue to have with the land and it is hoped that it will be understood on a deeper level and possibly adopted as a guiding influence in the future.

The material and reflections of hand blown-glass eels reminds us of the ongoing fight the Dharug have endured since colonisation and the adaptive qualities of the eel. The strange and phenomenal eels, climb dams, creep across land and transform in preparation for their journey northwards to their spawning grounds in the coral sea. On their return to freshwater, the young transparent glass eels take on the colours of the river as they move between freshwater and saltwater.

This metamorphosis alludes to historical and contemporary experience of Dharug people who faced horrific frontier conflict and disruption but have adapted and remained, ensuring their survival.