The memorial attempts to recreate the atmosphere of the NSW State Abattoirs, which existed at the current site of the Sydney Olympic Park from 1915-1988. Five animal drinking troughs, salvaged from the Abattoir, are buried in the ground and planted with flowers including “Forget-Me-Nots”. They are laid out to resemble graves and at the end of each of them is a timber headstone upon which is attached a hand made ceramic tile.

Each tile features the verse of a nursery rhyme, a reminder of how our stories, culture and industry are intertwined. The following lines, from left to right, are written on the different tiles:

Clickety Click Clickety Clack, Hear the wheels of the railway track

To market to market, Jiggety Jig Jiggety Jog

Here a Moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo, e i e i o

Flipperty Flop Flipperty Flop here comes the butcher to bring us a ………

Little boy blue come blow your horn

The Abattoirs were officially opened in 1913 and by 1923 the Homebush Abattoir was the biggest of its kind in the Commonwealth and employed up to 1600 men. It had a killing capacity of 18000 to 20000 sheep, 1500 cattle, 2000 pigs and 1300 calves per day. The economic viability of the Abattoir declined with time and it was officially closed in June 1988.