Edith Cowan University recently unveiled two significant public artworks by Indigenous artists at its new ECU City Campus in Boorloo / Perth.

The university said in a statement that the works celebrate the cultural, spiritual and ecological narratives of the Noongar people of the southwest of Western Australia, with a focus on Boorloo.

Jointly funded by the federal government, Western Australian state government and ECU, the newly opened creative industries, business and technology campus will bring around 10,000 students and staff to the city's CBD.

Located in prominent outdoor spaces at the campus, the public artworks "mark a new milestone in the transformation of the precinct into a vibrant destination for learning, creativity, culture and connection", ECU said.

Wadandi/Menang/Kaniyang/Goreng/Bibbulmun artist Lea Taylor has delivered an integrated artwork etched into the pavement outside the ECU City Campus, on Yagan Square.

The artwork evokes the underground waterways that continue to flow beneath Whadjuk Country. Sweeping lines trace the path of the Waagyl, the Rainbow Serpent and life-giving rainmaker, whose presence shaped the land. Circular forms represent the lakes that once sustained the Whadjuk people, nourished by the Waagyl, and which now lie hidden beneath the concrete and glass of modern Boorloo.

The second is a duo of large-scale sculptures by Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie installed into Karak Walk, the laneway running between Yagan Square and Queen Street.

The large-scale sculptures draw on the tail feathers of the Karak (Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo) and the Ngoolark (Carnaby's Black Cockatoo), while also evoking Lake Goologoolup and its surrounding wetlands.

Both artists, working under the guidance of Whadjuk Elders, collaborated to create these significant works.

"We celebrate the powerful vision of Lea Taylor and Reko Rennie, whose works bring to life the cultural and ecological stories of Boorloo," ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Clare Pollock said.

"These artworks speak to enduring knowledge, culture and connection across generations, reminding us of the deep history embedded in this place.

"At ECU we are proud to host and elevate these cultural narratives within a space of learning, one that brings together past, present and future. In doing so, we honour those who have come before us, recognise the significance of truth-telling and cultural continuity, and create opportunities for our community to learn, reflect and walk forward together with respect."

WA Planning and Lands Minister and Perth MLA John Carey said ECU City Campus had already been a success for the inner-city and the artworks would add further vibrancy to the campus.

"ECU City Campus represents an $853 million investment by our state government in partnership with the federal government and ECU," Mr Carey said.

"It has been a game changer for Perth, driving thousands more people into the heart of the city and spurring on a student accommodation boom.

"It's fantastic to see these works by Lea Taylor and Reko Rennie unveiled - adding to the vibrancy of the campus and reflecting the Noongar heritage of the space."

The ECU City Campus is located on one of a series of resource-rich, connected waterways, known as a place of inter-generational sharing and learning for the Whadjuk Noongar people - traditional custodians of Boorloo, Perth and the surrounding areas.

ECU said that "from the earliest planning stages", Whadjuk Noongar Elders worked alongside the university to ensure the City Campus "respects that history, while also creating a place for future generations to learn, gather and thrive".

ECU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students and Education), Professor Braden Hill said public artworks like these can help "create shared spaces for dialogue, understanding and respect, contributing to a future grounded in recognition and truth".