Walking Track

With attractions such as the lake, the surrounding hills, heritage buildings, landscapes, galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, the place of the people will be suited for walking and strolling. A new path system - the Walking Track - is proposed to connect all of these attractions in such a way that moving from one place to another will become an experience of discovery and of reflection on our history and future as Australians.

The Walking Track will become another layer in the landscape of the Parliamentary Zone and significantly, it would become a layer that recognises our pre-European heritage. The track itself would be set out based on Indigenous cultural precepts.

Many great urban parks have circuitous pathway systems that cater for strolling and discovery. The Walking Track will be rambling and natural in its character and will complement the formal, direct path system that exists for ceremonial as well as functional purposes. Together these path systems will enrich the experience of the landscape.

To further the guiding principles of this review - to more fully understand the collective experience and diversity of Australia - the track will present and help interpret Australian history using numerous gardens, totems and installations placed at intervals along its length. Just as Anzac Parade is dedicated to the recognition of Australian service and sacrifice, the Walking Track will provide a unique and special place for the recognition of Australian achievement.

It is envisioned that the track will be completed over time, with sections being constructed as and when appropriate. What will be important about the track is not its finalisation but its evolution, and the participation and ownership of the Australian people in its creation. At the outset it is proposed that the traditional indigenous land owners be acknowledged in the process of establishing the track and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australian community groups become involved in designing sections of the track. Completion of the track will take time but like other community projects, participation will be crucial to public acceptance and enjoyment.

The completed route will be approximately four or five kilometres long. Along the way it will include most existing features as well as places for picnicking and resting and it will incorporate the commemorative and interpretive material described in the Cultural Policy.

The Walking Track will be a public project of great significance and its development in the place of the people will inspire a sense of ownership and accomplishment for all Australians.