Acknowledgement of Country
Alison Page, Rowena Welsh-Jarrett, Simon Reece
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Land of the Giant Pippies
Alison Page
Nature Inspired Artwork and Waterplay
Public Art
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Project details
BLACKWATTLE BAY, NSW | WANGAL, GADIGAL
2025Artists: Alison Page
Client: Infrastructure NSW
Project Team: 3XN, BVN, GXN Innovation, Aspect Studios, Cultural Captial, Tess Allas, UAP
Photography: Courtesy of Infrastructure NSWThe reinvention of Sydney’s Fish Market is a state-significant transformation, evolving a once transactional marketplace into a vibrant cultural destination. Public artworks anchor the foreshore, creating a powerful platform for Indigenous storytelling and a celebration of the enduring cultural practices of the Wangal and Gadigal People.
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VIDEO - Alison Page discusses the inspiration behind 'Land of the Giant Pippies' -
Background
The new Sydney Fish Market offers a premium experience for seafood trading, dining, cultural connection, and social engagement, positioning it as Sydney’s latest must-see attraction. Its transformation stands as one of the most ambitious and impactful urban renewal projects of this era. The project delivers more than upgraded market facilities; it creates community and shapes a new identity for the precinct.
Blackwattle Bay has long been a rich fishing ground and an important gathering place for the Gadigal and Wangal clans. Drawn by its abundant seafood, it was a place of feasts and celebrations, with local Dreaming stories shaped by fishing and a deep connection to water. Land of the Giant Pippies is inspired by nature and its abundant sea life. The waterplay sculpture reflects the ever-changing cycles of the sea and highlights the beauty of the markings created by pippies, emerging from the sand.
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Design Approach
Land of the Giant Pippies by Dharawal and Yuin artist, Alison Page, connects us to Country through large pippy-shaped sculptures expressed in concrete and rising from the ground. The sculptures are linked on the ground plane through etched lines in the concrete, referencing the delicate sand markings left by the movement of the sea shells.
The sculpture features water spouts that mimic the playfulness of the way pippies naturally expel water through the sand. Designed for more than observation, the waterplay invites children and visitors to interact with its spouting water.
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Tilt Services
Land of the Giant Pippies was realised through the skills and collaborative exchange of the project team. Cultural Capital developed the public art plan in close consultation with high-level stakeholders and community groups, curating a sensitive, informed, and meaningful artistic response to the site.
Tilt supported Alison with developing the early conceptual design, and UAP were subsequently engaged by Multiplex to complete the detailed design and artwork delivery. This project partnership brings together diverse expertise in design and fabrication to ensure a well-resolved artistic and technical outcome.
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Impact
Land of the Giant Pippies strengthens connection to Country at the new Sydney Fish Market by weaving nature into the foreshore. It reflects the Indigenous practice of marking a place with artwork to honour Country, and draws on the ocean as a vital resource and gathering place. The artwork begins a new story centred on community, connection and play, creating an authentic artistic narrative that enhances cultural visibility and invites the wider community to engage with it.
”Supporting the artists and creating space for them to lead the storytelling and share that process with their communities has shaped something far more lasting than the artworks themselves. These stories now live in the public realm, continuing to educate, connect, and resonate long into the future.”
Tim Phillips, CEO, Tilt Industrial Design
Through deep collaboration, this artwork is not only a new enduring landmark for Sydney but it is a vehicle for cultural enrichment—ensuring that the stories of Country, water, and people remain present, understood, and celebrated in one of Sydney’s most significant public spaces.
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“I love the idea that these giant pippies are here and they have grown so big because of the laughter and the energy of these children that are going to be jumping and playing all around it.”
Alison Page
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