The City of Melbourne proposed that new parkland be created along Southbank Boulevard between the Yarra River and the Domain Parklands. Context was commissioned to chart the heritage of Southbank Boulevard in a way that could be woven into the creation of a new public space. Basing landscape design firmly in local history can nurture an appreciation for the area’s heritage that can be shared by the wider community of the City of Melbourne and its visitors.

Recognising the importance of engaging with the Aboriginal Traditional Owners on the redevelopment of Southbank Boulevard and drafting of the Domain Parklands MasterPlan, the City of Melbourne engaged Contexct to facilitate a workshop with each of the four Traditional Owner organisations recognised as having an interest in the study areas at that time: the Boon Wurrung Foundation, Bunurong Land & Sea Association, Bunurong Land Council and Wurundjeri Tribe Land & Compensation Cultural Heritage Council. The results were then integrated into the strategic planning documents for each place. Each Traditional Owner organisation expressed the importance of traditional and contemporary connections to Country, particularly the connections to the Birrarung (Yarra River), ceremonial places, abundance of the landscape, traditional stories and more.