The Dreamtime Cultural Centre is an

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

cultural arts and education centre in

Rockhampton, Queensland Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

.About us
Dreamtime Cultural Centre website. Accessed 26 March 2020.Mackay, Jacquie (26 March 2008

ABC Capricornia 4RK, better known as ABC Capricornia is one of the ABC's original regional radio stations, predating the corporation's inception on 1 July 1932. 4RK, as it was known at the time, began broadcasting on 29 July 1931 and was owned by the Australi ...

. Retrieved 26 March 2020. Situated on the

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Na ...

in the suburb of Parkhurst at the northern entrance to the city, the centre was established to promote greater awareness of local Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander Torres Strait Islanders () are the Indigenous Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal people of the rest of Australia, they are often grouped ...

culture, history and traditions through various cultural displays, guided educational tours and interactive activities. The Dreamtime Cultural Centre is also a popular attraction for tourists visiting Rockhampton with many European and Australian backpackers visiting the centre each year.Houley, Jann (21 February 2020
Reimaging the future of iconic Dreamtime centre
''

The Morning Bulletin ''The Morning Bulletin'' is an online newspaper servicing the city of Rockhampton and the surrounding areas of Central Queensland, Australia. From 1861 to 2020, ''The Morning Bulletin'' was published as a print edition, before then becoming an ...

''. Retrieved 26 March 2020.

History

Following a visit to

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

in 1983 by representatives of the Central Queensland Aboriginal Corporation for Cultural Activities, Nola James and Ted Mitchell, funding submissions for centre were lodged with the Aboriginal Development Commission and Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs,

Clyde Holding Allan Clyde Holding (27 April 193131 July 2011) was an Australian politician who served as Leader of the Opposition in Victoria for ten years, and went on to become a federal minister in the Hawke Government. Early life and education Holdin ...

.Kassim, Mohammed (21 July 1983
Funds sought for Aboriginal cultural complex in Queensland
''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

''. Retrieved 26 March 2020. At the time, the centre was estimated to cost approximately $2 million, with

Rockhampton City Council The City of Rockhampton was a local government area in the Central Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, encompassing most of the suburban area of the regional city of Rockhampton. The city covered an area of , and existed as a local gove ...

agreeing to donate the land at Parkhurst for the purpose of constructing the complex. The Dreamtime Cultural Centre was developed as a Bicentennial Project and upon completion was officially opened by Australian Prime Minister

Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and union organiser who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (A ...

on 9 April 1988. Later that year, the Torres Strait Islander complex at the centre was officially opened by

George Mye Jacob George Mye (3 December 1926 – 26 April 2012) was an elder statesman from the Torres Strait.

on 5 November 1988. With the completion of another expansion at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, the Dugong Complex was officially opened by

Katharine, Duchess of Kent Katharine, Duchess of Kent, (born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, 22 February 1933) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V. The Duchess of Kent converted to Roman Cath ...

on 1 March 1992. The Dreamtime Cultural Centre's Darumbal Convention Centre was officially opened by Lois O'Donoghue on 7 August 1994. The late Nola James and Ted Mitchell, who are credited with much of the lobbying in the 1980s to have the centre established are both honoured at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, with the main building at the complex named the Nola James Building and with a museum called the Ted Mitchell Gallery, which houses the ''Vanishing Culture of the Sandstone Belt'' display. In 2004, a short film, written and directed by Wayne Blair, was produced at the centre called ''Dramatically Black - The Djarns Djarns: Shake a leg''. The Dreamtime Cultural Centre celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008. In 2012, Australian rugby league player

Johnathan Thurston Johnathan Dean Thurston (born 25 April 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League (NRL). Thurston was an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All ...

visited the centre to speak to high school students and to promote the FOGS ARTIE program, which is aimed to achieve results through Indigenous education. A special

Federal Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law (with the exception of family law matters), along with some summary (less serious) and indic ...

sitting was held at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre on 22 June 2016 where Federal Court judge, Justice Berna Collier handed down the Darumbal People Native Title Consent, determining that the Darumbal people were the legally recognised traditional owners of 2500 square kilometres of land in

Central Queensland Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland ( a state in Australia) that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton. The region extends from the Capricorn Coas ...

, incorporating Rockhampton,

Yeppoon Yeppoon is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. Yeppoon is renowned for its beaches, tropical climate, and the islands out on the bay. Located from the city of Rockhampton, Yeppoon is the seat of the ...

and

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

and the surrounding areas.Hooker, Amber (22 June 2016
Darumbal landmark native title decision
''The Morning Bulletin''. Retrieved 26 March 2020. The Dreamtime Cultural Centre celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018. In 2020, a number of government, business and community representatives met to discuss the future of the Dreamtime Cultural Centre in a bid for the centre to remain relevant.

References

{{reflist Cultural centres in Australia Australian Aboriginal cultural history Tourist attractions in Queensland Rockhampton

History

See also

References