The Money Tree finds a home at WAMA

Celebrating The Money Tree arriving at WAMA (L-R) Michael Moerkerk, artist; Heather Campbell, Greening Australia CEO; Byron Grant-Preece, WAMA Exhibitions Manager.

We’re thrilled to share The Money Tree sculpture has found a permanent home at WAMA, a new precinct for art, science and environment at Halls Gap in the foothills of the Grampians/Gariwerd National Park.

The sculpture, gifted to WAMA Foundation by Greening Australia, now stands within view of the Jallukar Native Grasslands. Back in 2020, with support from the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Jallukar Landcare Group and Greening Australia successfully sowed this native grasslands site, the result of four years of community-led seed collection workshops and the establishment of a nursery-based seed production area in Pomonal.

Clockwise from bottom left: Jallukar Landcare volunteers who collected seed over multiple years; mixing seed prior to sowing; sowing the grasslands in 2020; Greening Australia’s Jess Gardner with the resulting Jallukar Native Grasslands at WAMA in 2026.

Created by Victorian artist Michael Moerkerk, The Money Tree was jointly commissioned by Greening Australia and Bank Australia in 2022, as part of celebrations for Greening Australia’s 40 years.

Michael built the artwork from bushfire-rescued red gum, reclaimed metals, repurposed keys, and around 70 kg of old Australian pennies and half pennies. Its 40 branches mark 40 years of Greening Australia’s restoration work.

We wanted the tree to spark conversations about the value of nature, the connection between the environment and the economy, and the cost of inaction. We think The Money Tree fits right in at WAMA, and will hopefully continue to inspire visitors to think about how investing in protecting and restoring nature now, will pay off for all of us in years to come.

Go see The Money Tree for yourself, among the endemic gardens, wetlands and grasslands of WAMA, and tell us: what does valuing nature mean to you?
 

More about The Money Tree

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