Victoria
Maryborough is situated on Dja Dja Wurrung country in central Victoria, Wurundjeri. The project comprises of the Art Gallery and an Indigenous Interpretive Sculpture Garden. Nervegna Reed were engaged to design the gallery and Djandak (arm of Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation) deigned the sculpture garden (due for completion later his year). The two aspects of the projects are integral to a cultural decolonising of Maryborough. The Central Goldfields Art Gallery site sits at the end of the 19th century civic spine which extends to the Maryborough train station.
The aim was to revitalise the buildings while including Djaara history and culture, to correct the dominance (and violence) of colonial history and ideology. The design aimed to incorporate multiple stories into the spaces, to ‘surgically’ cut into the 19th century fabric of the building to reveal other histories, viewpoints, and to avoid the dominant ideology of the Victorian.
Nervegna Reed’s design merges the historic elements of a 19th century fire station with the contemporary standards for presentation of visual art to deliver a modern public gallery. Providing multiple opportunities to engage, even before stepping inside, the building opens its arms wide and encourages interaction and dialogue with its community. Framing views to an Indigenous Interpretive Garden that will reference traditional fire practices, the space is anchored to its environment. From the inside, there are further opportunities to look up and out, with the result that it is expansive and optimistic, just like the future of Central Goldfields Shire.
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
