Bendigo Law Courts Forecourt
The multi-jurisdictional Bendigo Law Courts building and public realm is a new, state-of-the-art facility designed with a people- and community-first approach.
The civic forecourt's design reflects a cultural understanding of Dja Dja Wurrung Country, developed in collaboration with the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation.
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- Traditional Owners & Ongoing Custodians of the Land Dja Dja Wurrung Country
- CLIENT Court Services Victoria
- LOCATION Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
- YEAR 2023 – 2024
The design concept intertwines and peels back the contemporary urban fabric to reveal the underlying significance of Country, representing the reconciliation of the site’s historical streams.
Drawing on Dja Dja Wurrung artists’ interpretations of their spiritual connection to Country, the landscape offers a welcoming and tranquil arrival point. This is achieved through elements such as boulders evoking rocky outcrops, embedded cast iron ponds connected by a serpent symbolizing water, and paving that expresses a cultural smoking ceremony, all set within an indigenous planting palette in the forecourt.
A seamless transition exists between the internal and external forecourt, where the landscaped area flows into the building and extends vertically to form Bunjil on the building facade. Dja Dja Wurrung continuously emphasized the importance of this connection throughout the design and construction phases.
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The central garden and seating area provide diverse spaces for Law Court visitors and the Bendigo community, encouraging engagement whether using the space or passing through. Alternative landscape arrival points also offer secure entry options for various court users.
The Bendigo Law Courts landscape design exemplifies a genuine and authentic collaboration with Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners. This process fostered self-determination through an Indigenous-led approach, with ASPECT Studios working closely alongside Dja Dja Wurrung at every stage. Together, they discussed and developed ideas to integrate Dja Dja Wurrung values and knowledge into the forecourt.
This collaborative approach continued even more closely for the pavement artworks with two Dja Dja Wurrung members: an artist and a master weaver. This artwork was conceived to bring a multi-layered knowledge system to life and offer a tangible acknowledgment of the ongoing presence of Dja Dja Wurrung people.
