New artwork marks completion of Swan-Canning Estuary shellfish reef restoration

The Nature Conservancy Australia has marked the completion of the Swan-Canning Estuary Reef Restoration Project with a new permanent sign featuring artwork by emerging Aboriginal artist Lily Wilson.

Wilson, a Binjarrup Noongar woman with connections to Whadjuk country, created The Wargul and the Swan River, which now appears on signage at the Point Walter foreshore alongside information about the restoration project and the role of shellfish reefs in improving estuary health.

The artwork centres on the Wargul, the rainbow serpent and protector of the river, surrounded by brightly coloured aquatic life.

Wilson said the piece celebrates the return of shellfish reefs to the Swan-Canning Estuary and the cleaner water and habitat they can support.

Even though the river can be murky now, I wanted to show how it can be healthy again. It felt really important to tell that story visually.

The restoration area spans six hectares and includes 24 purpose-built reef units with 160 tonnes of seeded mussel stock.

Brett Dal Pozzo, Restoration Manager at TNC, said the project demonstrated how nature-based solutions could restore ecological function after decades of damage from dredging and pollution.

Lisa O’Malley, Member for Bicton, said the Swan-Canning Estuary was central to local life and pointed to a $2 million WA Government commitment to support the project.

The reefs were built by TNC in partnership with the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. TNC said its 2025 survey showed significant natural shellfish recruitment, with fish abundance and species diversity on restored reefs exceeding nearby barren seabeds.

Dr Kerry Trayler, DBCA Principal Scientist and Program Leader for Rivers and Estuaries Science, said the project took an ambitious science-led approach to water quality and biodiversity issues in the Swan-Canning system.

The reef was restored as part of TNC’s Reef Builder program, with support from Lotterywest, the Minderoo Foundation and Western Australian philanthropists. The artwork can be viewed near Point Walter Dog Beach.