Land granted for long-awaited $40m Larrakia Cultural Centre

The long-awaited Larrakia project has taken a huge leap forward with the granting of land by the Territory Government.

Development of the $40m Larrakia Cultural Centre has taken another step forward, with a land agreement finalised.

The Northern Territory Government approved a grant of Crown land, worth $16.9m, for the Larrakia Development Corporation to build the Centre at Stokes Hill.

The site at the old Indo Pacific Marine is a registered Larrakia sacred site.

It is the culmination of negotiations since 2005 between the LDC and the government for the development of a centre on a suitable site.

The Centre is part of the LDC’s plans to reinvigorate Larrakia culture, history and language and will be managed by the Larrakia Development Trust.

The project is also part of the Darwin City Deal and is funded through a grant from the Aboriginal Benefits Account.

Drawings for the Larrakia Cultural Centre in Darwin. Picture: Rossie Architecture and Susan Dougdale and Associates.

LDC chief executive Nigel Browne said the Centre would become one of the Larrakia elders’ greatest legacies.

“The development of the Larrakia Cultural Centre is a primary example of the LDC developing a centre that has a focus on creating economic and social benefits for Larrakia people and the community at large,” he said.

“The negotiations to acquire freehold took longer than anticipated but is a significant transaction, not only for the fact that we, as Saltwater People, will have a permanent presence in the immediate vicinity of one of our last remaining sacred sites but the transfer also signifies the formal extinguishment of our last Native Title rights, which had been secured as part of the Larrakia Native Title claim in the late 1990s.”

Pink signs at the Stokes Hill site in November 2021. Picture: Julianne Osborne

In November of 2021, a planning application was lodged with the Development Consent Authority.

The submission said cultural symbols would underpin the design, including a ceremonial space and a “welcome to country journey” through the site’s landscaping.

The submission detailed the building would be three levels, including a semi-underground car park, an exhibition space, classrooms and studios.

The top floor is a commercial office space, meeting rooms and a harbour-view restaurant.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the Centre would be an invaluable asset to the NT.

“We know that one of the many reasons that people come to the Northern Territory is for an authentic Aboriginal cultural experience that is like nowhere else,” she said.

“This land transfer will enable Larrakia Development Corporation to build a home in Darwin City for the Larrakia people, as Darwin’s first people, to preserve and share their rich story, culture and language with locals and visitors alike.”