A large gallery extension to Armidale's Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place (AACCKP) was officially opened on Friday morning in what many also regarded as a celebration of the completion of the AACCKP after more than 30 years.
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I think space has always been an issue. We need the performing arts in here.
- Rose Lovelock
The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by Anaiwan Elders Steve Widders and Rose Lovelock, Mrs Thelma McCarthy, Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall and about 60 people on Friday to open the new $850,000 building.
Mr Widders was the founding chair of the AACCKP and said an amphitheatre once stood in the space that now provided such enormous opportunities.
"This week being reconciliation week, we have to be grounded in truth because sometimes people don't know," he said.
"Here is a good place. We've got a histories archive, we can do family history, we can do language training here."
Mr Widders said it all started in 1984 with a bicentennial grant application to build a centre to have the records of history, heritage and cultural artifacts preserved for use by the public, and have the stories about local Aboriginal history told.
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"It's not just about an extension to the building. It's about the chance for other people to learn about the culture," he said.
Rose Lovelock was a member of the building sub-committee and was one who attended many fortnightly meetings to see the project completed.
"That, on top of all creating the exhibitions and doing all the other work that's required here, has meant an extremely busy time for us," she said.
"I cut the ribbon with a lady I admire so much, Thelma McCarthy, she has been a lady who has actively and openly supported our endeavours across time. She was here when it all started.
"I think space has always been an issue. We need the performing arts in here. I see a role for school children and would love to have a yearly drama night ... and i would probably seek support from the drama department out at the uni and various drama teachers within the schools."
Ms Lovelock said she would also like to see music reintroduced in conjunction with storytelling.
"Because we've got a good leader in Daisy Williams in the operations side of the business, working with her will be very exciting from here on in," she said.
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said plans for the extensions were drawn up in the late 1990s, work was started but was never finished.
"So, this is sort of realising a vision that is probably about 22-years-old," he said.
"It was always the intention to have this space, to make sure you had quite a large art gallery and function space here. It's brilliant. There's a car park to the side, so for older people it means you can park off the street and just walk in.
"This just beautifully complements what I think is now an arts precinct."