Parramatta Powerhouse gets $30m from Lang Walker, Western Sydney Uni
A “groundbreaking” $30 million gift aims to ensure the next generation of scientists and tech experts hail from the bush and Western Sydney.
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It is the “groundbreaking” $30 million gift aimed at ensuring the next generation of scientists and tech experts hail from the bush and Western Sydney.
In a major boost for the budding Parramatta Powerhouse, property tycoon Lang Walker’s family charity and Western Sydney University will announce on Friday a combined $30 million donation to the west’s newest cultural centrepiece.
The massive gift, the second largest ever for a Western Sydney institution, will be used to set up the Lang Walker Family Academy, which will include overnight accommodation at the museum tailored for students from the regions and the city’s west.
The Walker Family Foundation will contribute $20 million to the new Academy, while Western Sydney University will put in $10 million for the Academy and accompanying programs focused on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Powerhouse chief executive Lisa Havilah said the funding would give more than 10,000 students a year unprecedented access to life-changing science and technology education.
“There are hundreds of thousands of Western Sydney and regional students who don’t receive the same exposure to arts and education programs that young people in other areas do,” she said.
“The Lang Walker Family Academy will deliver experiences for these young people that will not only spark their creativity but pave the way to genuine STEM careers.”
Museum Trust President Peter Collins echoed her comments.
“It is hard to quantify what these incredibly generous investments will mean to generations of young people in Western Sydney as they navigate their way through life where STEM learning is so pivotal to their lives and future livelihoods,” he said.
“There will be no STEM learning program like this in Australia and I can’t wait to see this groundbreaking Academy program develop.”
The Walker Family Foundation’s $20 million gift to the new museum and learning institute is the second largest gift ever to a Western Sydney institution, behind the foundation’s previous $28 million donation to Western Sydney University for a medical research building.
Mr Walker, the founder and executive chairman of developing giant Walker Corporation, said the Academy would empower students enabling them to succeed in the hi-tech job market of the future.
“We are passionate about investing in the education of our future generations in Western Sydney and this Academy will deliver the very best in science, technology, engineering and maths,” Mr Walker said.
Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University, Professor Barney Glover, said the Academy would inspire young people from “diverse geographic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds … to actively pursue STEM-related education and careers”.
Lendlease is due to start major construction work on the museum early next year, with the new riverside headquarters scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
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