The long-held goal of establishing an Aboriginal Gathering Place to foster reconciliation and support social and cultural connections is a significant step closer.
Whittlesea council at it September 19 awarded a contract to Victorian-based 2Construct Pty Ltd to construct the place which will be built in South Morang.
The local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has long advocated for a dedicated space from which to participate in cultural practices and knowledge-sharing, the first in Whittlesea.
The centre is set to be built at the Quarry Hills Regional Parkland and will play host to a variety of services and programs that will help to improve the health and wellbeing of Whittlesea’s growing Aboriginal population.
There will also be opportunities for the broader community to learn about Aboriginal culture through storytelling and events.
Whittlesea administrator Peita Duncan said the place will be located on Wurundjeri Country and connect to the site’s landscape, flora and fauna.
“We are proud to be progressing such an important project, which we know will empower our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and provide so many benefits,” she said.
“I want to thank everyone who has been involved in getting us to this point, not least of all the Whittlesea Aboriginal Gathering Place Advisory Group and Whittlesea Reconciliation Group.”
Construction of the Aboriginal Gathering Place is anticipated to begin next year with the centre expected to open in 2025.
Gerald Lynch
