Waterfront Whale Tales

Waterfront Whale Tales showcases 30 Australian artists, 30 large-scale sculptures and 30 stories of place through a connected trail of large Whale Tail sculptures. These will be dispersed across Sydney’s Western Waterfront between August 11 - September 24, 2022. 

The sculptures placed across the 6km harbourside trail are individually painted by a diverse collective of artists. The sculptures will be auctioned at the conclusion of the event with 100% of net proceeds going to The Kids’ Cancer Project.

Waterfront Whale Tales is presented by the New Sydney Waterfront Company and supported by Investment NSW’s CBD Revitalisation Program and in partnership with Cockle Bay Wharf and participating precincts.

We acknowledge the Country in which the sculptures sit as being Gadigal Country of the Eora Nation and we thank our Elders past, present and emerging.

Walk to Win!

With every Whale Tale that you visit, you can unlock valuable rewards offered by participating precinct businesses. Follow the trail and unlock exclusive discounts from some of your favourite Cockle Bay Wharf venues; Blackbird Cafe, Cafe Del Mar and Nick’s Seafood, Adria and I’m Angus.

Each whale tail sculpture features a unique code. Simply enter this code into the Waterfront Whale Tales app to reveal the story behind each artwork and reveal a freebie, discount or prize. There are also bonus prizes for completing each of the mini-trails and a Major Prize for spotting all 30 tails!

There are mini-trails to enjoy over multiple visits or complete the route in one blitz and enter the draw to win a Major Prize from @CrownSydney for spotting all 30 Whale Tales!

Download the app here. Access the map here. 

About the Artists 

Tail 18 - 18 Summers Left, Druitt Landing, Druitt Street, Sydney

Artist Bio
Jason Wing the son of a Biripi mother and Chinese father. Influenced by his bi-cultural upbringing, Jason explores the ongoing challenges that impact his wider community. His work explores the duality of caring for one’s country while fighting injustice and questioning established socio-political realities.

About This Sculpture
Aboriginal people have lived sustainably for hundreds of thousands of years, since the beginning of time. We warned you all about the tragedy of the commons and you ignored our Lore and disrespected nature, now we are going to lose oxygen. When we witness the extinction of the last whale fromover fishing – we will be next.

Story of Place
Past Aboriginal societies were so in tune with whales they could communicate and coexist for mutual survival. Aboriginal people and other First Nations cultures around the world also understood this balance. In stark contrast to today where some species of whales are slaughtered merely because they eat tuna. Tuna is the most profitable commercial fishing product, so anything that eats tuna (which is most sea-life) is slaughtered. This effects our future by destroying sea-life biodiversity and phytoplankton which translates to the end of 80% of the world’s oxygen, conservatively estimated to be in 18 years. 18 summers left.

Tail 19 - Madung. Alive., Cockle Bay Wharf Town Square

Artist Bio
M. Sunflower is a culturally diverse Australian artist with disabilities. A descendant of the Dharug Nation, Lebanese post-war immigrants, Chinese gold-rush migrants and a UK convict, she embodies the diverse ancestral legacy of Australia’s painful and complex colonial past. She is a Co-Director on the Board at Firstdraft and won the Georges River Council Art Prize 2022. Art is her activism.

About This Sculpture
"I've dreamed the wisdom of whales. Water is pain relief. Healing. Life.
My body is water. Undulating alike. Water remembers though I do not.
The alchemy of water transmutes all it bathes.
The whale may displace it, but the water heals and soothes. And so may you.
Not what is, nor what was, but what might yet be."

Story of Place
"Sydney is the place where all threads of my story weave together. Where my Dharug 5th Great Grandmother, Kitty was born. Where the UK convict was shipped who would marry her. Where my Chinese Great Grandfather's family immigrated during the Gold Rush. Where my Lebanese Grandparents shipped after the war. All these lines have joined in me. A multi-coloured artist. A rainbow Australian. Multi-faceted, shimmering in all the colours of the spectrum, depending on where the light shines.
I live on Dharug land. I have Dharug blood in my veins.
I swim in the waters of this land. I look to the night sky with its countless stars.
I breathe this air. That is all that matters.
I live now.
In peace.
In quiet.
In healing.
Ngaya Ngurrawa.
I am on Country.
Birrunga baduwa.
In the star water.
Madung.
Alive. "

Tail 20 - Yumi, Cockle Bay Roof Terrace

Artist Bio
Laura Wells is an environmentalist, presenter and model. Her passion for the environment and interest in facilitating climate change action led her to become an ambassador for change.

About This Sculpture
“The future is not something that will merely occur, it is something we are creating. Let's create a healthy, sustainable masterpiece for future generations”.

Artist Panel: Laura Wells, Jason Wing, Inkhunter

Meet three of the artists behind the amazing whale tails gracing Sydney’s waterfront at a panel discussion. Hear their stories and inspiration of their creations, and ask questions. 

Meeting Point: Cafe Del Mar, Cockle Bay Wharf
Time: Saturday 10 September, 12:00pm

Find out more about the artists:

Laura Wells, the artist behind the whale tail near the Cockle Bay Roof Terrace entitled "Yumi"

Jason Wing, the artist behind the whale tail near Druitt Landing entitled "18 Summers Left".

Inkhunter, the artist behind the whale tail near the Australian National Maritime Museum entitled "Looking for Change". 

Stick around at Cafe del Mar after the panel session to enjoy delectable Mediterranean cuisine with water views.

Register here to confirm your attendance.

Charity Auction

Love Whale Tales? Want to keep one? You can, after the Waterfront Whale Tales trail concludes, all 30 sculptures will be offered for purchase at a dedicated art auction on Friday 30 September. Read more here.