Draft heritage strategy to unearth rich Lake Macquarie history

BY ALEXANDRA REES

The rich history of Lake Macquarie could soon be celebrated under a new draft heritage museum strategy.

On public exhibition, the Council's hoping to develop tourism-focused museum heritage programs and will work with local aboriginal groups to recognise and preserve sites and collections. 

Council Arts and Tourism Manager Jacqui Hemsley says there's been increased interest in the region's history. 

"There's huge interest from visitors to our city as well as well as our students and our community in understanding a little bit more of the identity and the history of our place," she said.

"That includes our pre-contact history with the Awabakal culture as well as our more modern history."

Council already maintains a variety of sites that form part of Lake Mac's museum landscape from libraries to the landmark Museum of Art and Culture, yapang (MAC), at Booragul.

Ms Hemsley says the program wouldn't have been possible without co-operation with the community.

"The superb work the heritage advisors have done in developing heritage plans and strategies for the city,  some of the cultural collections as well as some of the Awabakal cultural heritage, and working through some of the amazing programs and stories and oral histories that come from that sector," she said.

"We've really started to develop quite a strong and vibrant heritage community."

Community Museum Officer Meg O'Donnell with heritage items in Council's collection.

Culturally Appropriate Aged Care Facility to Arrive in the Hunter for Indigenous Elders

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Two of the leading Aboriginal organisations in the Hunter have come together to deliver a new aged care facility for the elderly community.

Awabakal Ltd and Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday, making a commitment to work with one another on the project.

Awabakal Ltd Deputy Chair Raymond Smith says the project was exciting and a positive step forward.

"We're in the process of partnerships to link up with all the other Aboriginal organisations, to come together, to pool our resources together, to drive culturally appropriate ideas that we are putting forward," Mr Raymond Smith said. "These partnerships, they're important to us for future growth."

Biraban LALC is expected to provide the land for the new facility, while Awabakal Ltd will contribute medical care and expand their current infrastructure and services.

"The facility itself will also provide all medical services from Awabakal, for our community, and supporting independent accommodation for the Aboriginal community," Mr Raymond Smith said. "That will allow interaction and for that social network between the family members."

Biraban LALC Chair Edward Smith said the Memorandum would help both parties "ensure that our community and Elders are cared for in a culturally safe environment".

"There's a big population within the Lake Macquarie area and Newcastle," Mr Edward Smith said. "There's over 8,000 within Lake Macquarie and four to five thousand in Newcastle - and then you put the rest of the Hunter together, so you're looking over a 30,000 population of Indigenous people." 

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council has also spoken in support of the partnership.