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Intro

‘We invite you to walk with us on the journey’

In all our activities we pay our deepest respect to the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters on which we work.

We honour the resilience and continuing connection to Country, culture and community of all Aboriginal people across Western Australia and pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Establishing a flagship Aboriginal Cultural Centre with state-wide significance has been identified as a major cultural infrastructure need for Western Australia (WA) to empower Aboriginal people.

Led by Aboriginal people working in partnership with the State Government, the centre presents an extraordinary opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the world’s oldest continuous living culture and share it with the nation and the world.

The centre will become a powerful symbol of truth telling, justice, healing, and reconciliation, creating a culturally safe place for Aboriginal people in the state’s capital city.

An Aboriginal Cultural Centre of international significance will not only celebrate the diversity of WA’s Aboriginal communities but inspire visitors to connect with Aboriginal people and experience first-hand the unique cultural offerings available on Country.

The Aboriginal Cultural Centre will create:

  • greater awareness, understanding and celebration of Aboriginal culture, heritage and Country
  • advancement in truth-telling, justice, healing and reconciliation
  • increased economic opportunities for Aboriginal people in creative arts, tourism, and other cultural related industries
  • stronger connection and collaboration with and between Aboriginal people and communities.

The centre will showcase 65,000+ years of continuous living culture which would encompass a mixture of the following functions and spaces.

Current project status

The centre’s cultural framework grounds the project in the life cycle of its Host Country on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja by aligning planning and development with the Noongar 6 seasons.

The project is now in the birth phase, or Kambarang, where we sit and yarn with you on your Country to hear what matters to you and your community.

How could the Aboriginal Cultural Centre become a place to educate the state, and the world,  about our culture and to tell the truth about our shared history?

The birth phase is where we will solidify the ideas, narratives and themes of the centre and  work together to connect the many cultural campfires across Western Australia.

As the project moves into its next stage, we will be expanding engagement across WA, meeting with and listening to Aboriginal people and communities, cultural knowledge holders, and language, art and cultural centres.

We look forward to partnering with you to help shape the vision, functions and scope of the state-wide Aboriginal Cultural Centre.

Page reviewed 11 September 2023