Transurban Art Portal
Acknowledgement of Country — Transurban would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we have built our roads and our public art and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and invite everyone to share, be proud and be empowered by their culture.

About Transurban

About Transurban

Transurban is an Australian-owned company that builds and operates toll roads in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, as well as in Greater Washington, United States and Montreal, Canada. Our purpose is to strengthen communities through transport.

When we build new roads, we also work with local communities affected by the works. We want to leave local areas in better shape than when we started, by building community infrastructure that helps people connect with each other and their neighbourhoods. This includes parks, playgrounds, new cycle and pedestrian connections and public art.

The Transurban Public Art Program - Canal to Creek – includes 21 signature artworks that have activated parklands along our WestConnex corridor. This legacy project includes contemporary sculptures, artist-designed playgrounds, large-scale murals and an immersive lighting installation.

Inspired by this public art program, we have been running an art competition for high school students for the past few years. This competition has previously been tied to the artworks as part of WestConnex, however this year we are including all our assets across Greater Sydney.

This is a unique opportunity for students from all over NSW to create their own piece of art, inspired by our 2024 theme ‘connections’, highlighting Transurban’s commitment to strengthen and connect communities through transport.

Hear from the team

Hear from Andrew Head
Transurban CEO 

1:23
Hear from Alisa Hitchcock
Transurban Communications Director 

1:07
Hear from Nicole DeLosa
Visual Arts & Design Education Association
Co-President

1:45
Hear from Bethan Donnelly
Cultural Capital Curator and Project Lead 

01:04

Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledgement of Country

5:35

Transurban would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we have built our roads and our public art and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and invite everyone to share, be proud and be empowered by their culture.

Transurban thanks the KARI Singers in joining us to come together with one voice of reconciliation.

Kari Singers
Kari Foundation

The KARI Singers are one of the most talented Aboriginal vocal performance groups. These vocalists pride themselves on sharing culture, providing professional and high-quality performances tailored to their audience.

Kari Foundation Website

Community benefits

The Transurban M8 is not just what’s happening below the ground. A major part of the project has been transforming new and existing parks and public spaces.

The remediation of Alexandria landfill undertaken for the construction of the St Peters Interchange has provided a transformation of the contaminated landfill site to enable public use for the first time in decades.

The M8 has provided 6.5 hectares of new green space at St Peters Interchange, with an additional 2.5 hectares to be added by the M4-M5 Link project.

Have a look at some of our open space highlights below.

Transurban is building more than tunnels, it’s helping to reclaim public space including:

  • More than 900,000 trees, shrubs and plants planted, including 650,000 at St Peters Interchange, the former Alexandria landfill site
  • As part of St Peters Interchange, an additional 85,000 square metres of open green space.
  • 14km of new and upgraded pedestrian and cycle paths
  • The Canal to Creek Public Art Program is activating new and existing parklands between St Peters and Beverly Hills.

Transurban has worked closely with communities on how best to integrate these new spaces for everyone to enjoy and they are designed to encourage active transport and social interaction.

Mike Hewson's St Peters Fences Playground

Campbell Road footpath

  • As part of the Transurban M8, significant local roads upgrades were also delivered across the M8 and M5 East alignment which include a new toll-free bridge with a shared path from St Peters to Mascot.
  • The M8 has also delivered approximately 14 kilometres of new and upgraded pedestrian and cycle paths including 12 kilometres to extend and improve active transport links around St Peters and Mascot. Around two kilometres of upgraded paths have been provided at the M5 Linear Park.

Cyclists using the shared user path

Pedestrians using the shared user path

  • As part of the New M4 Legacy Project, Transurban has delivered a 5,200m2 park known as Haberfield Gardens and a 2.5-hectare park known as Ismay Reserve to the local community.
  • The local parks are vibrant places and landmarks in their own right, building on the local character of each area.

Ismay Reserve

Haberfield Gardens

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Acknowledgement of Country — WestConnex would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we have built WestConnex and our public art and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and invite everyone to share, be proud and be empowered by their culture.

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Virtual education platform for one of
Australia’s largest public art programs

Contact the Canal to Creek team

Do you have a question? Have you tried our FAQs?

Visual Arts and Design Educators Association

If you have a question relating to the resources and materials, please email:

WestConnex | Transurban

Alternatively, if your question relates to WestConnex, please email:

Virtual education platform for one of
Australia’s largest public art programs

The Transurban Public Art Program - Canal to Creek includes 21 signature artworks that have activated new and existing parklands between St Peters and Beverly Hills. Artworks include contemporary sculpture, artist-designed playgrounds, large-scale murals, a writers walk and an immersive lighting installation.

Named ‘Canal to Creek’ after the waterways that connect the art sites, each work is a site-specific exploration of the relationship between people and place.

Alexandra Canal defines the eastern end of the program and Wolli Creek, the western end. Both are part of the same water system that is linked by the Cooks River and Botany Bay. The role of the natural environment on our experience of place is a recurring theme for Canal to Creek artists. In some way, all of the eighteen artists pick up on a cultural thread that supports local identity and belonging. 

Take a 360 degree tour by entering into the virtual platform now!

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Movement of Shells, Movement of Time

Marilyn Russell and her mother, Aunty Esme Timbery

The WestConnex M4-M5 Link Tunnels project team (Acciona Samsung Bouygues Joint Venture) collaborated with Bidjigal artist Esme Timbery, one of Australia's most significant shell artists, and her daughter Marilyn Russell to design the façade of the ventilation facility to be built at St Peters. This is expected to be completed by 2023.

The design aims to create an educational piece for the local community; it presents a story of creativity and history. Through the use of colour and modern fabrication, a traditional expression is kept alive with a contemporary flair for future generations of Sydney to enjoy. The artwork celebrates the culturally significant shell making tradition that is unique to the Sydney Indigenous community of La Perouse.

Aunt Esme and Marilyn

Linear Park

The M5 Linear Park is comprised of parklands that border the M5 East corridor from King Georges Road Interchange to Bexley Road at Bexley North.

In February 2021 Transport for NSW completed the Linear Park Enhancement Project which delivered complimentary gym equipment and amenities to these existing parklands to develop the recreational needs of the community. Upgrades have included new transport links, outdoor play and fitness equipment, new seating, tables and drinking fountains as well as sporting fields and courts.

This program was run simultaneously to the WestConnex Public Art Program and the parklands now hosts several of the public art installations from Canal to Creek in the suburbs of Beverley Hills and Kingsgrove.

Read more

St Peters

As part of the WestConnex M8, a new above ground interchange has been built in St Peters. The site was transformed from a contaminated landfill into a future-proofed state-of-the-art above ground motorway network with important connections to future projects linking to the airport, southern Sydney and a second harbour tunnel crossing.

Building St Peters Interchange was the catalyst for the remediation of the contaminated Alexandria Landfill site which has now been transformed into accessible public space for the first time in decades. Approximately 400,000m³ of waste has been treated, capped, and safely retained on site allowing for the sustainable delivery of more than 6-hectares of accessible green space including 650,000 new trees, shrubs and bushes.

The new green space is also the home to many of the public art installations from the WestConnex Public Art Program – Canal to Creek.

Read more

Westconnex M8

The WestConnex M8 is the longest continual tunnel in Australia and was opened to motorists on 5 July 2020. The M8 is stage two of the wider WestConnex network and will be linked with the M4 via the M4-M5 Link Tunnels, currently under construction.

Read more
Network map

Network map

Entries for the 2022 Canal to Creek Prize have now closed. To view entries please visit the gallery

Launch prize intro

Criteria

Overview of Eligibility criteria

Canal to Creek Prize art competition criteria: only year 7-10 can apply, artwork must be original, artwork can be 2D or 3D, any materials can be used, please submit 1-3 photos of artwork plus an artist statement

  • The Transurban Art Prize is open to high school students from Years 7 to 10 in NSW.

  • Artworks must be original and respond to the Transurban Art Prize 2024 theme, ‘Connections’.

  • Artworks can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional (e.g. paintings, sculptures, digital).
  • Any art material or combination of materials may be used.
  • Artworks to be submitted in a JPG or PNG file, at least 1500 pixels wide.
  • Artworks must have the ability to be digitally reproduced by Transurban for promotional purposes.
  • Entries will need a title and an accompanying artist statement, limited to 100 words. Your statement should include why you have decided to create this piece of art and what inspired you.

Read full terms and conditions

Tips for taking photos of your work

Your Transurban Art Prize entry will require at least one photo of your artwork. Here are some handy tips to best help capture your masterpiece.

Transurban Art Prize competition tips on taking photos of your work: Avoid shadows by making sure your artwork is lit evenly, fill the frame with as much of your artwork as possible, make sure there are no people in the photos of your artwork

Prizes

Prizes per year group

There are fabulous prizes to be won for the first, second and third place in each Year group (Years 7 – 10), as well as an overall school winner. Prizes for each category will be as follows:

Prizes for the Canal to Creek Prize art competition: 1st place iPad tablet, 2nd place $250 Eckersleys Art and Craft voucher, 3rd place $150 Eckersleys Art and Craft voucher

School winner

One school will be selected for the overall school Prize of a $5,000 Eckersley’s arts grant. This is based on the volume and calibre of entries received from the school.

Display of winners

Each winning artwork will be framed and displayed at one of Transurban’s motorway control centres or offices. To honour and congratulate the Prize winners, an awards ceremony will be held later in the year. The winners in each Year group will be invited to celebrate their award-winning artworks and will be congratulated with a decorative trophy on the day.

How to submit

Entries open

11 June

Entries close

13 Sep

Winners announced

11 Oct

How to enter

  • From June 11, click the ‘enter now’ tab and upload your artwork.
  • Your artwork must be submitted in a JPG or PNG file and needs to be at least 1500 pixels wide (up to 5MB/ each: jpg, png, gif).
  • You also need to submit an artist statement which is limited to 100 words.
  • If your artwork is shortlisted, you may be asked to send through a higher quality file.
  • A virtual interactive gallery will be created to showcase all successful entries which will be available for the public to see. For privacy reasons, only your first name and school will be published.

Downloads

A3 Poster DL Flyer

Judges

Judging process

Entries to the Transurban Art Prize will be judged by a local Sydney artist, a representative from the Visual Arts and Design Educators Association and Transurban’s Group Executive of NSW. Meet them below!

Artworks will be judged based on artistic merit, creativity, and fit within the theme.

Judging panel

Canal to Creek Prize art competition judge: Aaron Landers

Aaron Landers

Aaron Landers is a senior Visual Arts and Design teacher and has held several executive positions at Visual Arts and Design Educators Association (VADEA). Aaron is currently the Co President at VADEA and is passionate about contemporary art, especially Photo-media, Public Art and Sculpture.

Canal to Creek Prize art competition judge: Carla Hananiah

Carla Hananiah

Carla Hananiah is a landscape painter who lives and works in Sydney. Carla holds a Master of Fine Arts through Research from the University of New South Wales. She has exhibited throughout Australia and is the recipient of multiple prizes including the Mosman Art Prize Viewer’s Choice Award (2012), the Hornsby Art Prize (2011), the Blake Prize Society’s John Coburn Emerging Artist Award (2011) and the Winsor & Newton Start your Studio Scholarship (2009).

Canal to Creek Prize art competition judge: Nicole Green

Nicole Green

Nicky Green has been with Transurban since 2022 and has recently been appointed as Group Executive, Australian Markets. She joined as Group General Counsel and has played an integral role in some of our biggest projects. Nicky has a passion for art and is excited to see the many ways the theme of connections is interpreted and the different approaches used to bring this theme to life.

Canal to creek art prize

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Register your interest here to receive all the latest news and information on the Canal to Creek Prize competition.

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