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Subterranean Geographies in Australia Symposium 2022 by Wendy Murray

We would like to respectfully acknowledge the Gadigal (Cadigal) peoples of the Eora Nation, who are the traditional custodians of the waters, lands and skies where we present this event from. We also pay respects to the many traditional custodians of the various lands and waters upon which we travel from and acknowledge the strength and wisdom of Elders now and in the past. We want to firmly acknowledge that Aboriginal sovereignty has never been ceded.

The Subterranean Geography in Australia Symposium event brought together “underground” and “underwater” geography scholars in Australia in order to discuss and identify key Australian-related themes for the“subterranean turn” – a “down-under subterranean turn” if you will – and to map future avenues so that this scholarship is more directly contributing to international debates on underground geographies. The Symposium was structured online, over three days. Murray was commissioned by UNSW to respond to each session with a drawing. These drawings will feature in a future publication.

The Geographical Society of NSW and the School of Humanities and Languages’ Environment and Society Group at UNSW are delighted to present papers that reflect on critical and creative approaches to Australian Subterranean Geography.
Organized by Dr Marilu Melo Zurita and Taylor Coyne.


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Drawing along the train lines by Wendy Murray

Ecologies of Forgotten Urban Ecosystems

A collaborative project with Professor Dieter Hochuli and Associate Professor Kurt Iveson.
Focusing on active and abandoned railway corridors, and water storage and distribution infrastructures, this project will: document the animal and plant species that have found home in the city thanks to the fencing of these infrastructures; analyse the implications of these ecologies for the planning and management of existing and future urban infrastructure.

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Sydney OPERA HOUSE : Draw the House by Wendy Murray

Draw the House

With Todd Fuller, Antonia Pesenti, Wendy Murray and Shireen Taweel

Create a range of drawings inspired by one of the world's most iconic buildings.

Once a month join like-minded creative souls to explore the Opera House and its surroundings through the eyes of an artist. Working with a different artist each month, explore various drawing techniques, and perspectives inspired by one of the world's most iconic buildings. 

You will also learn from an expert Tour Guide about the influence of visual arts in the Opera House history, including the beautiful tapestries that grace our venues and foyer spaces. 

Drawing is practical as an architectural and engineering blueprint, but it is also a tool for creative expression and making meaning, visually documenting what we see or imagine on paper, for others to view, interpret and enjoy.

From the very beginning, drawings have played a significant role in the Opera House’s history – a global architectural competition saw entries from all over the world, where a relatively unknown Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, became the winner of a new National Opera House for Sydney. Utzon’s original and somewhat controversial design was an imaginative sculptural response that the judges were convinced would be ‘capable of becoming one of the great buildings of the world’. 

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2021 Koreatown Series by Wendy Murray

Koreatown, California, 2021. All drawings 4.7 x 6.3 in (16 x 12cm). Ink pen & gouache on archival museum board (4 or 2 ply).