Traditionally the coolamon is used to carry babies, food and water. Here in the gathering garden it is used as a metaphor to describe the collection of different cultures and stories.

The central coolamon water feature typifies the centrality of Alice Springs as a meeting place and symbolically represents the springs that continue to provide replenishment in the heart of the central desert. Its Mparntwe motif designs acknowledges the central role and significance of the Arrernte land, its people and ancestry.