Midland Heritage and Art with Weeip Park

Weeip Park opened in September in the New Junction open space development in Midland's CBD. It is a fabulous play space with a grassed kickabout area, a youth zone, a playground with nature elements, a path for cycling and a toilet.

Weeip was a traditional clan leader of the Noongar Whadjuk Boora Clan. His territory covered South Guildford, the Swan River, Ellen Brook and into the hills. In August 1934 Weeip negotiated a truce with Governor Stirling to improve relations with settlers. Weeip is recognised as one of the most powerful Whadjuk totemic clan leaders.

Located in the centre of town close to Midland Gate Shopping Centre, cafes and restaurants Weeip Park is a perfect place to head for a play. Parking is readily available but may be time limited weekdays and Saturday mornings.

Make sure you wander along the new Wadjuk Boya Ngura Shadow Arbour, which tells a story of Whadjuk culture and life. The shadows move and change through the seasons and evolving light conditions. For more information about the images and their meaning, visit newjunction.com.au/stories. An arbour playtrail for mobile devices will also be released.

After exploring the playground we headed off to explore the immediate surroundings and discovered heritage buildings and modern influences reflected by urban art including sculptures and murals.

Murals are located across the business/shopping district including on the back wall of Australia Post, multiple murals on the outside of Midland Gate Shopping Centre and street art at Locale, a space which hosts food trucks and live music events.

The Centrelink building on Keane Street features A Garden for Midland by Jack Bromell, painted in calming blues and greens, representing the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River), local birds and flora and a nautical star on a moon silhouette. The nautical star represents the nautical star on the clock-face of Midland's iconic Town Hall and symbolises Midland's rich post colonial history.

Jessee Lee Johns’ artwork is featured on the Midland Public Library in Helena Street. Midland IGA features a stunning new mural by Jack Bromell with a B6 steam locomotive paying tribute to Midland's strong railway heritage and some Forrest Red-Tail Cockatoos flying across the warm sunset sky. Railway Heritage is also reflected in the mural by Jarrad Martyn on the side of the Commercial Bar and Kitchen which represents knock-off time at the Western Australian Government Railway Workshops as a stream of workers journey over the old Midland Junction Railway Station footbridge towards the Commercial Hotel.

Sculptural elements range from the playful 'Oscar, Rosie and Buddy', on the corner of The Crescent, painted steel sculptures by Mandy White inspired by Yamatji stories of small bush creatures. Built in collaboration with Ron Gomboc, Robert Juniper’s towering five metre high copper and bronze sculpture ‘Tree Forms’ is the centrepiece of Juniper Park, which is named after him. Around the Midland Junction Arts Centre you will find Steve Tepper's ‘Trickle, flow and fall’ ,a group of cast aluminium and bronze water sculptures and the Mother and Child.

We have previously explored Midland when we walked around the Midland Railway Workshops and the western side of the town center including beautiful Coal Seam Dam.

To read more blogs go to:

https://www.outandaboutfnc.com/blog-1 

https://www.outandaboutfnc.com/post/midland-railway-workshops

I love wandering along trails, both marked and unmarked, and sharing my discoveries with my Out and About FNC community.  If you enjoy reading my blogs please consider a small donation which will be used towards the costs of keeping the website up to date and relevant.

Donate $2

In the spirit of reconciliation Out and About- Family Nature Connection acknowledges the traditional owners of the Wadjak boodjar (Perth land) and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.