A giant tapestry has weaved a story of Parramatta’s past – revealing how today’s modern CBD would have looked to Australia’s first European settlers.
‘Parramatta’ – the largest tapestry woven in Australia in over 35 years – has officially been unveiled in 6 Parramatta Square and now can be seen by all those who journey to the building.
Designed by renowned Australian artist Chris Kenyon and brought to life by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, the artwork measures 11.5 metres wide and seven metres high.
It’s Australia’s second-largest tapestry designed by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, following the Great Hall Tapestry designed for Parliament House in Canberra in 1988.
Kenyon painted his idea of Parramatta on canvas before sharing it with the Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW) to complete. Taking over 18 months and requiring 13 of the country’s best weavers and two separate looms, Kenyon’s vision has finally been bought to life.
“The ‘Parramatta’ is a vibrant interpretation of what Australia’s first European settlers would have seen from the Parramatta River as their boat approached the rich fertile landscape, home to First Nations Burramattagal people,” Kenyon said.
“The craftmanship in ‘Parramatta’ is the best I’ve ever seen with strong bold shapes and high contrast of the colourful landscape that settlers on board the Rose Hill Packet boat would have seen when they first came ashore at Parramatta Cove in 1789.
“The smoke is rising from a cooking fire lit by the Barramatagul people, the original landowners while looking beyond to the Blue Mountains in the distance.”
Kenyon’s design was scaled up 10 times, resulting in 1cm on the painting becoming a 10cm area on the tapestry to accommodate its four-metre viewing distance.
The final design needed to be constructed in two parts, incorporating 171 colours in a myriad of combinations and weighing over 250kg.
Walker Corporation Executive Chairman Lang Walker AO said ‘Parramatta’ is the last of his 10 privately commissioned artworks to take pride of place in the company’s four towers.
“The size and scale of the tapestry really draws you in and elevates the entry experience for the thousands of workers and visitors that walk through 6 Parramatta Square each day,” he said.
“People’s moods are lifted by great artworks in the workplace, and we are proud to have collaborated with some of Australia’s best creative minds to enhance Parramatta, which has become a vibrant hub of commercial, community and cultural activity.”
Visitors to Parramatta Square are encouraged to engage with the city’s heritage and history by scanning QR codes through the Parramatta Square Passport App, which offers information about each piece of artwork’s meaning and creation.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.