Balarinji

Balarinji Australia’s foremost agency for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public art, design, strategy and engagement. www.moriartyfoundation.org.au

Public Art & Curatorial• Branding & Design • Designing with Country Balarinji is Australia’s most highly awarded and foremost Indigenous design and strategy agency. Since 1983 Balarinji has amplified Indigenous culture and narratives for a new shared Australian identity through design excellence. www.balarinji.com.au

An Aboriginal-owned agency with its origins in Yanyuwa culture, Balarinji’s multidisciplinary work comes from authentic engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culture, art, stories and identity. Balarinji’s national and international work for public and private sectors spans urban regeneration, major infrastructure, precinct planning, branding campaigns, public art and curatorial projects, interiors and digital design. Balarinji is known for its many iconic and nation-building design projects, including the Balarinji-Qantas Flying Art Series, featuring six aircraft with Aboriginal artwork liveries between 1994 and 2024. Balarinji is widely recognised for cultural design and sustainability excellence and is the winner of the Good Design Australian Design Prize, Design Institute of Australia President’s Award, and The Design Studio Award from INDE.Awards. In the 2023 Financial Review Sustainability Leaders list, Balarinji was shortlisted and ranked by Boston Consulting Group in the top 13% of Australian companies making a positive social impact. The National Museum of Australia holds Balarinji’s design archive and the John Moriarty Collection. Balarinji is also represented in the collections of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney and the Centre for Contemporary Graphic Design, Fukuoka, Japan. In 2012, Balarinji’s founders established Indigenous children's charity, Moriarty Foundation. This life-changing solution to closing social disparity reaches 2,000+ Indigenous children in 18 remote and regional communities through its two interrelated programs, John Moriarty Football (soccer) for 2-18 year olds, and Indi Kindi early learning from birth to 5 year olds.

🏆 More great news about the M12 Motorway! The M12 Motorway has been named a winner in the 2026 AILA NSW Australian Insti...
15/10/2026

🏆 More great news about the M12 Motorway!

The M12 Motorway has been named a winner in the 2026 AILA NSW Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Landscape Architecture Awards in the Infrastructure category, recognised for innovative landscape architecture and design.

Congratulations to Transport for NSW, Balarinji's project & design teams, HASSELL, GHD Group, Conybeare Morrison International, Context, Studio Colin Polwarth, and to the Aboriginal artist and community knowledge holder cohort!!

The jury recognised of the project’s deep cultural collaboration. Guided by Balarinji’s Designing with Country methodology and public art co-creation process, our team worked in co-design with local Aboriginal knowledge holders and artists to embed Dharug storytelling into the M12 corridor through integrated public art, wayfinding, and interpretive content.

Key highlights of the cultural integration along the corridor include:
• 'Great Emu in the Sky’ — a 30-metre landmark sculpture depicting the Dharug Mariong Creation story
• Large-scale, integrated overbridge artworks depicting a seasonal Dharug story of the emu
• Eucalypt Leaf Canopies — Welcome to Country installations reflecting the Dharug Six Seasons

Thank you everyone who collaborated with us to embed local Dharug narratives into the M12 corridor, creating an enduring ‘Welcome to Country’ experience for all travellers.

Aboriginal artist and community knowledge holder cohort: Danny Eastwood Aboriginal Art, Jamie Eastwood, Barry Gunther, Danielle Mate, Jasmine Seymour, Leanne Watson Redpath, Frances Bodkin, Julie Jones and Corina Norman with Balarinji studio, including ‘Great Emu in the Sky’ lead conceptual artist on the work’s genesis, Tim Moriarty.

Balarinji’s Designing with Country methodology is a cultural design framework that guides our co-design practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge holders, storytellers, and creative practitioners to translate Place-based knowledge, spirituality, protocols, history, culture, and contemporary stories for design interpretation.

Inspired by the colours of Country.📸 Taken at Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) on Noongar Country, WA.Photo credit: Tessa Flic...
15/10/2026

Inspired by the colours of Country.

📸 Taken at Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) on Noongar Country, WA.

Photo credit: Tessa Flick (Gomeroi & Bigambul), Balarinji Indigenous Community Engagement Specialist.

We did it again! 🏆✨Our newest design award has officially landed in our office. Last Friday, members of Balarinji's team...
14/10/2026

We did it again! 🏆✨

Our newest design award has officially landed in our office.

Last Friday, members of Balarinji's team had the pleasure of attending the Good Design Australia awards ceremony at International Convention Centre Sydney - ICC Sydney to collect a GOLD Good Design Award for the 'Great Emu in the Sky’.

We commend the Good Design Australia jury for recognising the design excellence of this landmark public artwork, and for championing Indigenous design and the Designing with Country sector - which Balarinji has led for over 40 years.

A huge thanks to Transport for NSW, M12 project partners and collaborators, Dharug knowledge holders, and the Aboriginal artist cohort for making this achievement possible.

🎨 Artwork Attribution: Curated and co-created by Balarinji Studio with Dharug-connected Aboriginal artists Danny Eastwood Art, Jamie Eastwood, Danielle Mate, Jasmine Seymour, and Leanne Watson Redpath, and was conceived by Balarinji lead artist on the work’s genesis, Tim Moriarty.

🏆🏆  'Great Emu in the Sky' wins GOLD in design!! 🏆🏆We are thrilled to share that the landmark 'Great Emu in the Sky' pub...
07/10/2026

🏆🏆 'Great Emu in the Sky' wins GOLD in design!! 🏆🏆

We are thrilled to share that the landmark 'Great Emu in the Sky' public artwork, commissioned by Transport for NSW and curated and co-created by Balarinji Studio, has been awarded Gold across two prestigious design programs: the Australian Good Design Awards (Built Environment Installation) and the Sydney Design Awards (Pop-Ups, Display, Exhibit & Set Design)!

Located at the M12 Motorway and Western Sydney Airport interchange, this monumental 30-metre lenticular sculpture brings to life the local Dharug story of Mariong, the Emu and Mother Spirit, who became a constellation in the Milky Way. The installation serves as an enduring Welcome to Country visible across five transport modes: motorway, Metro rail, aviation, cycling, and pedestrian pathways.

The work was curated and co-created by Balarinji Studio with Dharug-connected artists Danny Eastwood, Jamie Eastwood, Danielle Mate, Jasmine Seymour, and Leanne Watson, and conceived by Balarinji lead artist on the work’s genesis, Tim Moriarty.

This project reflects a paradigm shift in infrastructure design and public art curation, delivered through our sector-leading Designing with Country methodology which prioritises authentic co-creation and design-led engagement with local Aboriginal knowledge holders.

Congratulations to all the artists, project partners, and collaborators involved in bringing this story to life on Country.

Read more about the project: https://bit.ly/4zEk9A7

Good Design Australia Better Future Design Awards

Transport planning that incorporates Country-centred design 🚗 🌱This concept was explored at a special session at the rec...
01/10/2026

Transport planning that incorporates Country-centred design 🚗 🌱

This concept was explored at a special session at the recent National Transport Conference by Balarinji's Managing Director, Ros Moriarty. Business Owner, Author & Social Investor and Strategic Specialist & Indigenous Engagement, Julia Moriarty (Yanyuwa/Marra).

Thank you to our co-presenter Krista McMaster, Associate Director at SCT Consulting and to Kim Logan Marketing Director at SCT Consulting for her support. We are grateful to the Transport Professionals Association for inviting us to be part of such an engaging conference and to session sponsor Jacobs Solutions Inc..

Transport corridors pass through diverse cultural landscapes. Sharing knowledge and authentic co-design with local Aboriginal knowledge holders and creative practitioners ensures that infrastructure respects living cultural heritage while enriching the journey for all users.

Balarinji's Designing with Country methodology transforms how we plan infrastructure and transport, shifting from human-centred design to Country-centred design. Incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge from project inception embeds local cultural narratives, ecosystems, and identity directly into the fabric of major infrastructure. Through end-to-end curation, Balarinji translates these authentic Place-based narratives into enduring structural and visual design outcomes that celebrate a shared Australian identity.

Learn more > www.balarinji.com.au

📸 L-R: Julia Moriarty, Ros Moriarty, Krista McMaster

Thank you to the locally-connected Aboriginal knowledge holders who welcomed us for a walk on Country at Blackwattle Bay...
30/09/2026

Thank you to the locally-connected Aboriginal knowledge holders who welcomed us for a walk on Country at Blackwattle Bay in Glebe NSW.

The experience was a valuable opportunity to listen, learn and build shared understanding of the site's cultural narratives and connection to the surrounding landscape. These insights will inform a cultural design framework to guide future Country-related outcomes for the project with Mirvac Group.

Better placemaking that connects with Country.This was the theme of a recent briefing event with members from the Proper...
22/09/2026

Better placemaking that connects with Country.

This was the theme of a recent briefing event with members from the Property Council of Australia by Balarinji's Managing Director, Ros Moriarty. Business Owner, Author & Social Investor and Strategic Specialist & Indigenous Engagement, Julia Moriarty (Yanyuwa/Marra).

Thank you to the PCA Committee for hosting and organising this engaging and enjoyable session and to the members that came along.

The Balarinji team loves to share their knowledge about Designing with Country and how this influences the design of better places.

Learn more > www.balarinji.com.au

In group photo L-R: Emma Stewart (Charter Hall), Julia Moriarty (Balarinji), Ros Moriarty (Balarinji), Tiffany Ramsey (Knight Frank), Emma Thompson (Property Council of Australia).

17/09/2026

"It's like experiencing an art gallery while driving." Justine Cooper, Balarinji Head of Project Management and Studio

It was an extraordinary experience last week to get up close to the 'Great Emu in the Sky' sculpture on Sydney's M12 Motorway, along with Danny Eastwood Art and Jamie Eastwood of the M12 Aboriginal artist cohort and their family, the Balarinji team, and members from the TfNSW M12 project team, including Aboriginal Community & Heritage Partner, Noni Ross.

Thank you to Greg Jackson, Kathleen Liu and Jason Karmas from Transport for NSW for organising a fantastic tour of the M12 Aboriginal public art collection which by chance, also included some artworks from the nearby M7 Public Art Collection.

The M12 Motorway Aboriginal Public Art Collection was curated and co-created by Balarinji Studio with locally connected Aboriginal artists, including, Barry Gunther, Danny Eastwood, Jamie Eastwood, Danielle Mate, Jasmine Seymour, Leanne Watson, including Balarinji lead artist on the genesis of the 'Great Emu in the Sky', Tim Moriarty.

Read more > https://bit.ly/4y5TtYr

Balarinji has been curating, commissioning and co-creating impactful, enduring works of public art for more than 30 years. Our approach is focused on place-based design intent and storytelling. Our cultural authority is in our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, communities, traditional custodians and knowledge holders.

25 years ago today the Sydney 2000 Olympics officially opened where Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic Cauldron, just days be...
15/09/2026

25 years ago today the Sydney 2000 Olympics officially opened where Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic Cauldron, just days before she would win her historic gold medal in the 400m.

Balarinji is proud to have been an early sponsor of Catherine, including providing her with our Indigenous-designed running suits. We're also proud to have designed the official poster for the opening of the Olympic Stadium. 25 years on, we salute a great Australian in Catherine Freeman, who carried a nation so magnificently on her shoulders.

Inspired by the colours of Country.📸 Taken at Gadalathami Beach, Arnhem Land, NT.Photo credit: Julia Moriarty (Marra/Yan...
11/09/2026

Inspired by the colours of Country.

📸 Taken at Gadalathami Beach, Arnhem Land, NT.

Photo credit: Julia Moriarty (Marra/Yanyuwa), Balarinji Strategic Specialist & Indigenous Engagement

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Crows Nest, NSW
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