Public Art for the Byford Rail Extension

We’re incredibly proud and excited to announce the public art projects for the METRONET Byford Rail Extension. These artworks are an integral part of the new stations, pedestrian areas, and public spaces, helping to transform the precincts into places that reflect the identity, culture, and stories of the local community.

The completion of the METRONET Byford Rail Extension marks a major milestone for the south-east rail corridor, connecting Armadale and Byford with new stations, elevated rail, and a network of artworks developed in collaboration with local artists, schools, and community members.

The public art program has been central to the project’s design. Nineteen Western Australian artists, including Noongar artists, created works that reflect the identity of the Armadale and Byford communities. Their artworks now form part of the station architecture, viaduct structures, and public spaces along the line.

At Armadale, the elevated viaduct introduces a new civic landmark at the heart of the city centre. The Peregrination collective, comprising Mel McVee (Melski), Haylee Fieldes (Fieldey), Amok Island, Seantelle Walsh (Kardy Kreations), and David Sparrow, produced large-scale murals and integrated lighting that celebrates Noongar culture and the region’s native flora and fauna. The design helps to define the city’s new gateway and brings colour and movement to the viaduct.

Dellas Bennell worked closely with the Apparatus design team to integrate artworks into the station forecourt. The designs were informed by local Elders and respond to Noongar stories and travel routes, local plants and animals, and waterways, encouraging a moment of reflection for daily commuters.

Further south, George Domahidy worked with students from Armadale Senior High School to create a mural and sandblasted pavement artwork for the Seventh Road underpass. The underpass connects the school to the western side of the rail line, and the collaboration gave young people the opportunity to contribute their ideas to a major civic project and to see their creativity reflected in their community.

Byford: Place, Identity and Connection

At Byford, Sioux Tempestt partnered with Marri Grove Primary School, involving the students in the design of the murals and pavement artworks for the Larsen Road pedestrian bridge. The works reference the meaning of Beenyup and connect the school community with the broader landscape of the Serpentine Jarrahdale region. Beenyup is ‘place of water’ in Noongar language, which reflects the school’s proximity to Beenyup Brook.

At the new Byford Station, the last station in the Armadale Line, Nigel Chadd worked with the Apparatus design team and local Elders, drawing inspiration from the area’s flora, fauna, and enduring Noongar connection to Country. Nigel’s integrated artworks guide visitors through the Byford Station precinct.

Together, these significant projects establish a strong cultural identity for the new rail extension. The works link the Armadale and Byford communities through shared stories of place, and highlight the role of local creativity in shaping the public realm.

The artworks now stand as a lasting legacy of the Byford Rail Extension, signalling a new era of connection, community pride, and cultural visibility across Perth’s south-east.