Look up at the night sky from the verdant green grass of Kings Park and you might see gum trees swaying overhead, a bat darting between the branches, or, if you’re lucky, a shooting star. Come October, you can add several hundred drones to the list.
For three nights only from October 2nd to 4th, the Western Australian Botanic Garden will become the stage for Moortabiny (Becoming Family), a new after-dark experience exploring the environment that surrounds us through Noongar storytelling, science, sound, and light.
Crafted by two-time Miles Franklin Literary Award winner Kim Scott in collaboration with Walter McGuire OAM, Moortabiny unfolds in three acts: a twilight wander through the gardens, an original soundscape inspired by botanical research, and a choreographed drone display above the Pioneer Women’s Memorial.
Start With A Stroll To Meet The Trees
The evening begins beneath the canopy, with visitors invited to wander through the gardens at their own pace, following a series of bespoke sonic storytelling stations hidden amongst the flora.
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At each stop, Kings Park scientists and horticulturalists spill the secrets of the plants around you, from research helping them thrive to the painstaking work involved in protecting WA’s extraordinary botanical heritage.
It’s a chance to meet the locals, so to speak, in a garden that has spent six decades doing serious work for our state’s flora and conservation.
Stop and Listen
In a one-of-a-kind experience at Kings Park, the gardens get a soundtrack of their own, composed from the almost imperceptible rhythms of life unfolding within them.
Through a fascinating process known as data sonification, Kings Park scientists have transformed data gathered from the natural world into music: the comings and goings of birds, the rise and fall of sap through the trees, and other subtle signs of activity all become notes in an original score.
The resulting soundscape will echo through the gardens surrounding the Pioneer Women’s Memorial, turning the unseen activity of the park into a living soundtrack before the drones take flight.
Then, Look Up
Finally, all eyes turn to the sky.
Hundreds of drones will take flight above the Pioneer Women’s Memorial, with captivating formations inspired by WA’s landscape and native flora. As they move overhead, light and narrative come together to illuminate the story of Country, biodiversity, and Kings Park, with an extended flight time allowing the aerial display to unfold at a more leisurely pace than many of its high-speed counterparts.
It’s the first drone show ever presented by Kings Park, and a fitting finale to an evening that moves from the ground, to the sounds, to the sky.
Come early, claim your patch of grass and make a night of it, with grazing boxes available to pre-order through Ticketmaster, plus food and refreshments available on site all night long.
Moortabiny (Becoming Family) runs from October 2nd to 4th during the school holiday period at the Western Australian Botanic Garden, Kings Park.
