Ballina Public Art – How Language Was Communicated to the Water Birds

Located at the Ballina BP Travel Centre, this beautiful public artwork by Marcus Ferguson tells the Bundjalung creation story of how language was gifted to the water birds of the Ballina area.

In the story, Babarra, the creator spirit, instructs Jungar (the Pelican) to gather all the birds — Swan, Brolga, Duck, Stork, and many more — at a sacred place. There, Babarra gives sound to the Bundjalung language, passing it to the birds to carry across the land and through to the people. These birds became messengers and carriers of spirit, connecting Country, language, and community.

The artwork also acknowledges Yuralba (Duck Creek) — meaning “many ducks sitting on the bank” — an area once home to camps, ceremonial grounds, and pathways used by Aboriginal people as they journeyed through the valley seeking cedar.

Displayed through an illuminated ceiling installation and art panel, this piece connects travellers with the living culture and stories of the Nyangbul people of the Bundjalung Nation.

Marcus Ferguson is a Nyangbul Goorie artist from Ballina and Cabbage Tree Island who has been painting for more than 25 years. His works celebrate cultural birds, animals, and stories from the lower Richmond River region, honouring Country and keeping traditional knowledge alive through contemporary art.