Dalwood Homes Indigenous Healing Garden
On the lands of the Gai-mariagal and Cammeraygal People in Seaforth on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the Indigenous Healing Garden is an outdoor environment located within the grounds of Dalwood Homes, a facility that provides health, education and support services for vulnerable families with young children.
The healing garden is a series of carefully curated spaces where children, families, carers, health professionals—as well as the general public—can connect with the environment, each other and themselves. Applying co-design methodologies, the Nguluway DesignInc team worked closely with the client, Traditional Custodians and families involved with Dalwood to understand the needs of the community and create a concept design that is sensitive to their needs.
The site is a long narrow strip of land that follows the contours of the land, with dense bushland below and the Dalwood Homes buildings above. Some zones are nestled into the bush, and some have views across the bush-land to Middle Harbour.
Refuge, Exploration and Connection
Envisaged as a place of refuge, exploration and connection, the garden has spaces that cater to a variety of needs. Circulation paths wind through the landscape, with a wheelchair accessible ramp and pathway at one end. For group events there are a number of shaded gathering zones, a terraced amphitheatre for ceremony, floating decks, a bush tucker education area, a yarning circle with firepit and an open lawn area with BBQ. These are complemented by private healing and contemplation spaces such as single seats within the bushland, nature play zones, stepping stones and sensory plantings that are fragrant and colourful.
Indigenous stories and cultural practices are woven into the landscape through a series of sculptures and cultural narrative prompts.
Biodiversity is supported through integration of frog ponds, raised bush tucker garden beds and selection of endemic flora that will support local birds and animals. Water Saving Urban Design (WSUD) principles are inte-grated through permeable pathways, selection of native plants that are tolerant of periodic water inundation, and creation of swales to retain water in the landscape
