In May 2024, Council signed a grant agreement worth $3.5 million from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts (Federal Government) under the ‘Investing in Our Communities’ program. The grant aims to boost business and highlight Harris Park as a destination by celebrating the connections to South Asia and introducing Indian inspired decorative elements such as murals, overhead lighting, public art, and other streetscape improvements.
In mid-2023 as part of the grant application, Council invited the Harris Park community to get involved and have a say on proposed upgrades to the cultural and food precinct in Wigram Street, Marion Street, and Station Street East (the focus area for the proposed improvements).
Council received a significant amount of community feedback which we used to develop a refined Concept Plan and an Indian inspired welcome treatment. Public exhibition of the Concept Plan and proposed public art took place in mid-2025.Following public exhibition, Council resolved in November 2025 to progress a simplified overhead gateway for Harris Park.
PROJECT UPDATES
September 2026 - Construction phase for the Cultural Precinct commencing
Design development for the simplified overhead gateway being delivered in Harris Park has now been completed. The final gateway Concept Design is shaped by a local Western Sydney artist, guided by Council’s resolution and the cultural character of the precinct. The gateway will contribute to a welcoming arrival experience along Marion Street and complement the proposed overhead decorative lighting corridor.
Streetscape upgrades will also commence soon along Marion Street. This precinct strip will receive refreshed paving, new street furniture, and new street trees. Additional tree planting and improvements are also planned along Wigram Street to enhance shade, comfort and overall amenity for the community. Site investigation and geotech works commence 31 August - 4 September 2026.
Construction including streetscape improvements, decorative lighting and the gateway are scheduled for September to December 2026, delivering an even more welcoming cultural precinct and vibrant public realm for Harris Park.
To learn more about the upcoming works, please see the updated Final Concept Plan which is available in the Resources section.
April 2026 - Harris Park mural upgrade complete
The City of Parramatta Council and the Australian Government have installed a series of new murals along Station Street East which celebrate Indian culture and local stories. These artworks are adding colour, vibrancy and a strong sense of identity to the precinct.
To create a landmark community led mural for Harris Park’s Little India precinct, this project brought together three accomplished artists whose shared commitment to meaningful public art enriches the vibrancy, identity, and connection of shared spaces. Engaged by the City of Parramatta, the artist team included Gauri Torgalkar, Em Hatton and Patrick Hunter.
The artists were deeply committed to understanding and responding to Harris Park’s rich cultural heritage and the unique identity of Little India. Their shared vision created a mural that emerged authentically from the community’s voice, promoting inclusion, cohesion and harmony while celebrating the vibrancy of the precinct. The team engaged with the local community to get to the heart of a shared experience of place, identity and values to be represented in this mural series. Amongst the shared themes of food, family, celebration, flora and fauna, and (of course) cricket, lay one central theme summarised brilliantly by a community respondent: “Everyone brings something to make a beautiful tapestry”.
The mural reflects the identity, culture and evolution of Harris Park from our First Nations to colonial settlement, waves of Greek and Lebanese migration, to the modern day melting pot that is Little India. Using colour and motif, the mural will transport visitors from a sunrise over the Parramatta River, to daytime where we gather and share culture, to night where the food and festival experience of Harris Park comes alive.
Harris Park Mural
Harris Park mural concept - Gauri Torgalkar, Em Hatton and Patrick Hunter
To access a larger version of the mural, please click here, and to learn more about the artist team behind the mural, please click here.
Please FOLLOW this page for updates.
This project is proudly funded by the Federal government’s Investing in Our Communities grant program and delivered by the City of Parramatta.
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