Murrumbateman Public School, Murrumbateman

Murrumbateman Public School is on land of the Ngunnawal people and is located some 30 kms north west of Canberra.

As an integral part of the landscape design process local Aboriginal elders were consulted and their stories of this place were then integrated into the design process.

• The nearby Murrumbateman Creek formed a key part of the Ngunnawal way of life providing water, food and shelter.

• The local native trees and vegetation provided foods and medicines.

• Animals such as the Eastern Brown snake and White Cockatoos were seen as important in their storytelling.

All new plantings are endemic and selected for their importance to the Ngunnawal as sources of food, medicine and shelter.

Curvilinear forms of the pathways and spaces through the school are in response to the movement of the creek with “billabongs” creating outdoor teaching spaces.

The entry to the school is celebrated with a yarning circle and dedicated place for smoking ceremonies that is then enclosed with vegetation that talks to the Aboriginal history of the place.

This considered approach to the landscape design is positively linked to the Aboriginal history of this place and the stories that it tells. Themes of Country are integrated into the overall landscape design of the school, establishing a rich, natural and cultural environment that serves to educate students, teachers and visitors alike.