Ceremony prepares safe pathway for future statewide Aboriginal Cultural Centre
The Aboriginal Cultural Centre for Western Australia project marked another milestone today with a cleansing ceremony of the Terrace Road site prior to the start of ground investigation works.
The cultural event involved several ceremonies conducted by Whadjuk Noongar Elders including a smoking of the site, a water cleansing, ceremonial song and dance and a formal Welcome to Country.
The ceremony was conducted to prepare the area for the technical site investigation works that are due to occur next month.
The State and Australian Governments, together with the City of Perth, have been working on initial desktop site and service investigations to assist in understanding the ground conditions at the site.
Onsite geotechnical and environmental investigations are now required to confirm these initial investigations and will occur at several locations on the site. The site activities will have minimal disruption to parking in the area and are anticipated to take place over 2 days in December 2022.
The Aboriginal Cultural Centre project is a significant milestone in the State’s history as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities walk together toward a more reconciled future and acknowledgment of the past becomes part of the city’s cultural landscape.
A place of healing, celebration and acknowledgment, the Aboriginal Cultural Centre intends to deliver significant cultural, social and economic benefits for Aboriginal people and communities.
A funding commitment of $52 million from the State Government and a matching contribution of $52 million from the Australian Government will now progress the planning, engagement, design and seed capital for the project.
The centre is targeted to open in 2028.