Indigenous cultural centre could ‘rival Sydney Opera House’

An Aboriginal cultural centre that could rival the Sydney Opera House will be built on the banks of Perth’s Swan River after a site for the long-awaited building was finally identified.

WA Premier Mark McGowan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

An Aboriginal cultural centre that could rival the Sydney Opera House will be built on the banks of Perth’s Swan River after a site for the long-awaited building was finally identified.

The West Australian and federal governments on Monday announced a site between the river and the Perth Concert Hall had been chosen as the location for the centre, expected to open by 2028.

The WA government has earmarked $50m for the project while the federal government has promised to contribute $52m. The governments are hopeful their seed funding will be supplemented by corporate and philanthropic support.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the centre would highlight Aboriginal culture to the rest of the world. “It will showcase Aboriginal culture and be a place of education, learning, understanding, art, and hopefully some great architecture,” he said.

Federal MP Patrick Gorman said the centre would build on the government’s efforts to deliver an Indigenous voice by giving the Aboriginal people an opportunity to share their culture. The project could also deliver a world-class landmark for Perth that “can be WA’s answer to the Opera House”.

Barry Winmar, from the Whadjuk Cultural Authority representative group that endorsed the site, said he hoped the centre would attract support from major corporations, including those with chequered records on Indigenous heritage.