This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE new $695 million Edith Cowan University City Campus will be developed with the traditions and culture of the Noongar people in mind, as Aboriginal cultural advisors are appointed to the project.
The new campus, which will be built on Whadjuk country in Perth’s CBD, traditionally known as Boorloo in the Noongar language, is a part of the Perth City Deal.
The deal was designed to bring more than 9,000 students and staff to Perth’s CBD by 2025.
Aboriginal Productions and Promotions has been appointed as lead cultural adviser on both the design and building process of the campus.
The company was established by WA Senior of the Year and Noongar man, Dr Richard Walley OAM and Noongar woman, Dr Robyn Smith Walley.
Dr Richard Walley is one of the country’s leading performers, musicians and writers and was in 2015 named a State Living Treasure by the WA Department of Culture and the Arts, for his lifetime contributions to his fields.
Additionally, he was previously involved in the development of Optus Stadium and its surrounding park.
The 2021 National NAIDOC Poster incorporating the Aboriginal Flag (licensed by WAM Clothing Pty Ltd) and the Torres Strait Islander Flag (licensed by the Torres Strait Island Council).
“We are proud to be a part of ECU City’s development and I’m excited about the opportunities this project will have for our people and our communities,” he said.
Dr Robin Smith Walley, is also a honorary doctorate recipient from ECU.
“Richard and Robyn work from a position of respect for the community, their traditions and cultural practices and we are delighted they are sharing their expertise and knowledge with us,” Steve Chapman, vice-chancellor of ECU.
The development of the project has also included cultural engagement with an Elders Advisory Group with connections to Whadjuk country, who have aided ECU in working respectfully with Noongar Elders and community members.
“From the outset we have partnered with Whadjuk Noongar Elders, including Robyn and Richard, to inform the design of our campus. Their ideas and knowledge have been instrumental in developing a design that recognises history while connecting the past to the present,” said Chapman
Boorloo (Perth’s CBD) has a long history and culture as a place of connection and learning.
“It is appropriate that a new place of learning, one that will represent the future of university education, will be established on a site that has played such a significant role in the education of young Aboriginal people in another time,” said Dr Richard Walley.
“ECU City’s location is practical as both an area of transit and meeting. This contemporary purpose mirrors the traditional uses of the area by local Noongar people,” he added.
Upon development, the campus will include celebrations of Aboriginal performance and culture, at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and ECU’s Kurongkurl Katitjin Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research.
As Perth’s first comprehensive university campus in the CBD, it will be is jointly funded by the Australian government, committing $245 million, the state government, $150 million and ECU committing $300 million.
