Future Brisbane: First Nations cultural centre push for 2032

A world-class First Nations Cultural Centre is a must for Brisbane’s cultural landscape and should be a priority ahead of the 2032 Games, industry leaders say.

The world's foremost didgeridoo player William Barton in Brisbane. Picture: Glenn Campbell

A world-class First Nations Cultural Centre is the missing piece in Brisbane’s cultural landscape and must be a priority ahead of the 2032 Games, industry leaders say.

The elevation of Brisbane’s untold stories was also key to cementing it as a truly global city, and changing what had traditionally been a pit stop to Queensland’s iconic coastal hotspots to a stand-alone, multi-day destination.

With a multimillion-dollar formal business case finally under way for the long-promised First Nations Cultural Centre, QAGOMA boss Chris Saines said the lead-up to 2032 was a time of “extraordinary opportunity” – and the time to make it happen.

“Built with architectural ­invention and integrity on a prominent river’s-edge site, there’s no question it’s the big missing piece in our cultural landscape,” Mr Saines said.

Brisbane was marked down for “cultural availability” in the most recent Economist Intelligence Unit’s global liveability ranking, with the city ranked 16th overall – the lowest of any mainland Australian city.

While a Brisbane First Nations Cultural Centre was considered a flagship project to enhance the city’s offering, Mr Saines said other projects should also be harnessed ahead of the Games.

“This represents a cultural tourism moment for us on an industrial scale,” he said.

“It’s one that the arts community must seize because its cumulative effects can and will change our cultural landscape forever.

“The Olympics present an extraordinary opportunity for the arts in Brisbane, because they will bring the world to our doorstep. For many of those visitors, and for billions more looking on, this will be their first introduction to the city and the state.”

Before Brisbane won its 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid, talks on a First Nations Cultural Centre for the city had stalled, after first being floated in 2018.

But in August, Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch, also the Treaty and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister, announced the appointment of Georgina Richters to develop the $3m business case for First Nations Cultural Centres in both Brisbane and Cairns, a process expected to take until late 2024.

QAGOMA at South Bank

Ms Enoch said the project would be First Nations-led “every step of the way”, with extensive consultation to ensure the voices of First Nations people were heard.

“Progressing these business cases will position Queensland into the future, expand opportunities for First Nations arts, and grow economic and cultural tourism outcomes ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she said.

She said the centres would be “places for truth-telling and knowledge sharing, representing the diverse cultural practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”.

First Nations composer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and didgeridoo player William Barton welcomed the steps towards opening a centre to celebrate Indigenous culture.

The proud Kalkadunga man, named 2023 Queenslander of the Year, has a ­25-year history with the Queensland Symphony ­Orchestra.

“I think it would be an amazing landmark, an opportunity for all of Queensland to share in our culture – but also to share in bringing in people from all walks of life and showing them what is at the heart of Queensland,” Mr Barton said.

Mr Barton recently partnered with QSO to begin a journey known as warrma piipa: ngatji patija; kutu patija; ngata waru (Songbook: My Story; Your Story; Our Journey)to uncover the next generation of storytellers and song-makers.

“It’s about keeping that strength of our culture, that our elders always wanted,” he said.

“Our traditional languages are our cultural identity. It’s much more than a project. It’s a connection to the emotional state of our country. All those things, including a cultural centre, they go hand-in-hand.

“For our generation, we need to keep that fire lit, of ­legacy and culture – it’s a lifetime project.”

Mr Barton said he felt Australia was becoming “more in tune” with understanding the need of elevating the voices of its First Nations people.

“We want to make it a safe space – you’re not forcing it on them – but it’s the way of our mother country. You’re going to get a lot more interaction from a non-Indigenous person when it comes from our heartland,” he said.

Originally published as Future Brisbane: First Nations cultural centre push for 2032