A crowd listening to Uncle Andrew at the exhibition opening event.
Uncle Andrew Gardiner speaking at the opening of Reimagining Birrarung 2070 at the NGV Fed Square
Source: Alexandra Lee

Design concepts for 2070

The Birrarung Council partnered with the National Gallery Victoria (NGV) on an exhibition to imagine the future of Birrarung.

Reimagining Birrarung: Design Concepts for 2070 was a speculative design exhibition being led by NGV in collaboration with the Birrarung Council. The exhibition opened in August 2024 for a 6-month period at the NGV, Melbourne.

Presenting new, hypothetical visions for key sites along Birrarung, the exhibition engaged a broad audience and aimed to embody the 50-year Community Vision and align with the values and principles of Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017 and Birrarung Council.

Reimagining Birrarung proved to be a valuable opportunity for people across Victoria to see Birrarung in new ways and consider their role in shaping its future.

Read Birrarung Council inaugural chair Chris Chesterfield’s speech about Birrarung delivered at the NGV Design Week Symposium on 29 May 2024.

In June 2025 the exhibition was awarded a Landscape Architecture Award for Research Policy and Communications. The awards program provides a key vehicle for the promotion of the achievements and work of landscape architects in Australia. Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

Visit Reimagining Birrarung: Design Concepts for 2070.

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Page last updated: 23/03/23