Construction commences on new Koori learning centre
27 June 2003
Wurundjeri Elder Norman Hunter performs the fire ceremony.
Kangan Batman TAFE Director John Parish (left) and Wurundjeri Elder Norman Hunter turning the first sod on the site of the new centre.
Performance by the Koori Youth Will Shakespeare's Dance Group.
On Wednesday 25 June, Kangan Batman TAFE held a celebration of the 'turning of the first sod' in the construction of its new Koori learning centre in Broadmeadows.
Work commenced the following day on the $1.348 million Wurundjeri Kurnung Willam Balluk Learning Centre, with construction due for completion by early 2004.
The sod-turning celebration featured Koori dancers and a special fire ceremony performed by Wurundjeri Elder Norman Hunter to signify the 'new beginning' represented by this state-of-the-art learning facility.
Hume Mayor Cr Burhan Yigit also spoke at the launch, as Hume City Council provided an area of the Broadmeadows Town Park on which the new centre is being built.
The project has been funded by the State Government, with the Office of Training and Tertiary Education (OTTE) providing $1.15 million. The Federal Government has contributed $198,000 through the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA).
“Our aim is to create Australia’s premier Indigenous community learning centre that assists reconciliation through the delivery of programs and services based on empowerment, recognition and respect”, explained Terry Kildea, Koori Programs Manager at Kangan Batman TAFE.
“Kangan Batman TAFE’s Koori Programs Unit was established in 1994, and since then has been relocated three times as we kept out-growing our accommodation. We are currently based in portable classrooms. Once we move into the new centre, we will be able to dramatically increase both our course offerings and our student numbers, by attracting students from all over Victoria.”
The beginning of construction is the culmination of three years’ planning, which has been an inclusive process at all stages. The centre’s design, services and facilities have been planned with input from a steering committee which included representatives from the Wurundjeri People, OTTE, Hume City Council, the Hume Indigenous Advisory Committee, the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI), the Enmaraleek Association, and Kangan Batman TAFE management, teachers and students.
“Every aspect of the centre, inside and out, will be underpinned by Indigenous cultures from across the State, with a special focus on the local Wurundjeri People,” Mr Kildea said.
For further information, contact Terry Kildea, Manager of the Kangan Batman TAFE Koori Programs Unit on (03) 9279 2359.
Media inquiries: Helen Soane at Kangan Batman TAFE on (03) 9254 3318.
About the Wurundjeri Kurnung Willam Balluk Learning Centre
The Wurundjeri Kurnung Willam Balluk Learning Centre will be a state-of-the-art, culturally relevant place of learning for Indigenous Australian students.
Architect: Greg Burgess (projects have included the Uluru Aboriginal Culture Centre and the Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Halls Gap).
Landscaping: Glenn Berrill of Thompson Berrill Landscape Design
Builder: Cockram Builders
About the centre’s name: Kurnung Willam Balluk, meaning river or creek-dwelling people, is the name of the Wurundjeri clan which lived in the area prior to European occupation.
Design
The centre’s unique design features symbols of Indigenous culture and reflects the natural environment. The centre’s roof has the appearance of an eagle’s wings, as Bunjil, the wedge-tailed eagle, is the totem of the Wurundjeri People. The symbolism is that Bunjil will be watching over and nurturing everyone in the centre.
When it rains, water will flow down the wing-like roof into a creek bed in the building’s garden, making a temporary creek and thus recreating the ancestral environment of the Kurnung Willam Balluk clan (whose name means creek or river-dwelling people).
Gardens and outdoor education area
Aside from the creek bed, the centre’s garden will feature an extensive outdoor education area, including plants of significance to Indigenous food, medicine and culture.
Other features will include: memorials including scar trees and quiet areas for spiritual reflection; a rock garden with rocks representing Indigenous Peoples from all over the country; and an outdoor auditorium space for training and performing arts.
Facilities
Inside, the centre has been designed to be flexible in use. Many walls will be movable to allow the building to be converted into a convention centre, or to divide areas according to needs. The entrance area has been designed to be the ‘heart’ of the building, leading into the training areas which include: an art and design room, a computer room, general purpose classrooms, a student lounge/recreation area, and a kitchen teaching area which will be used to teach students about native foods.
The building will also feature a comprehensive resource area, with books, CDs, and videos. Once the centre is established, it is envisaged that this area will develop into a Indigenous Australian research centre and multimedia production house, producing training resources and recording Indigenous stories, history and documentaries.
For further information, contact Terry Kildea, Manager of the Kangan Batman TAFE Koori Programs Unit on (03) 9279 2359.
About the Kangan Batman TAFE Koori Programs Unit
Established in 1994, the Koori Programs Unit provides a welcoming and supportive environment for Indigenous Australian students at Kangan Batman TAFE's Broadmeadows campus. The unit currently supports around 500 students from diverse backgrounds, ranging from 14 year olds to people in their 50s.
Many are studying in courses specifically designed for Indigenous Australians. Others are studying in mainstream Kangan Batman TAFE courses, but use the unit for support if required (such as mentoring, tutoring, counselling, advice or referral to other services).
The Koori Programs Unit also delivers educational and cultural programs in corrections settings in the metropolitan area.
Most Koori Programs Unit staff are Indigenous Australians. The unit has close links to the local Koori community and organisations such as the Enmaraleek Association and the Glenroy Koori Open Door Education (KODE) school, and works closely with the Elders of the Wurundjeri people, who are the traditional owners of the area.
