The Scar Tree

The Scar Tree Sculpture was commissioned by Scentre Group for Casey Central Shopping Centre in Narre Warren South and was designed and developed in consultation with the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council.

The corten steel sculpture stands at the entrance of the centre at just over 4m tall. The piece is a proud representation of these important, living archaeological sites that bear significant evidence of the occupation and daily customs of the local indigenous peoples.

The inspiration: what is a scar tree?

Scarred trees are trees, often red gum or box gum, which have had bark removed by indigenous Australians. The bark was used for making canoes, shields, shelters and containers such as coolamons. The bark was removed by making deep cuts in a tree with a stone pickaxe or another similar tool.

This process left scars in the trunks of the trees. These scars usually have a regular shape that can be a square, diamond or rectangle and they often remain visible on trees that are more than 200 years old. Scarred trees are one of the easiest-to-find types of archaeological sites in Australia.

Celebrating local histories

In this case, the sculpture is representative of the scar trees that have provided materials, sustenance, community and heritage to the Wurundjeri tribe in the area known as the City of Casey.

Lump also installed a series of our Shard Planters throughout the shopping centre. These function practically as planters while introducing a sculptural feature element to the space.