Pondi: Kurri Winth-Amaldi (Murray Cod: River Creator)

In June 2022 during Reconciliation Week, the Maritime Museum will unveil a vast woven sculpture of Pondi suspended next to replica ketch ‘Active II’. The sculpture was created by Ngarrindjeri cultural weaver Aunty Ellen Trevorrow.

The Ngarrindjeri are ‘water people’ from the Lakes, Coorong, Great Southern Ocean and river systems of the area south and east of Adelaide in South Australia. For tens of thousands of years Ruwe [Country] has provided them with abundant fresh foods, medicines and rushes for weaving baskets, nets, scoops, fish, and eel traps. The story of Pondi is a key Ngarrindjeri creation story. Aunty Ellen created this Pondi woven from river rushes (Cyperu gymnacaulos and Cyperus vaginatus). Through it, she honours her ngartji or totem.

The creation of Pondi: Kurri Winth-amaldi (Murray Cod: River Creator) was generously funded by an Arts SA project grant and opens Friday 3 June 2022.