Notes from Aboriginal Reference Group workshop 1
Date: 15 April 2019 Location: Railway Cottage Attendees: Professor Dom Geraghty, Caroline Spotswood, Aunty Patsy Cameron, Assoc Prof Clair Andersen, James McKee, Nala Mansell-McKenna, Dr Jacqueline Powe, Jen Smit, Tania Harvey Update on Inveresk masterplan and current thinking related to the site - Prof Dom Geraghty The campus at Inveresk will be more compressed than the first master plan indicated; concentrating critical mass in and around our current Architecture and Design and Stone buildings as well as in Willis Street. Current thinking has more green space being identified including the development of sporting facilities and community engagement spaces, with consideration being given to activation and linkages between the buildings and sites. Building 3 – built on the carpark next to the Stone building and in front of the Annexe theatre will be the first DA to be submitted. Building 3 is proposed to house all aspects of Student Experience including the Library, Student Support and Riawunna and is seen as being ‘the heart of the campus’. An additional building will be built behind Architecture and Design (on the current carpark), which will house teaching and learning, along with dry labs. There is a ‘triangular’ space between the proposed and existing buildings and initial thought has been given to how this space encourages a sense of community – a public space where ‘everyone can be’ and perhaps could be the location of a cultural garden. However, it should be noted at this stage the whereabouts of any cultural garden/s have not been decided – there is however a clear intention to relocated ‘the stones’ from the Newnham site to Inveresk, to where and how they are laid out is yet to be determined. The building on Willis St will be more concentrated on the needs of the Launceston Institute for Applied Science and Design and wet labs, in addition to some teaching and learning - the exact composition is still being worked through. Overview of current Riawunna space briefings - Caroline Spotswood Riawunna as part of the Student Experience portfolio has been involved in a working group which is informing the spatial and operational requirements for Building 3. The internal layout of that building has not been decided, however Riawunna representatives have been able to provide information on their space requirements (similar to what informed the initial schedule of areas) including teaching areas, consultation and informal/ formal meeting spaces, library and staffing areas. Visioning workshop Background – Current location of Riawunna (the philosophy of its location and orientation) - Aunty Patsy Cameron When ‘Riawunna’ was initially being envisaged for the Newnham campus a great deal of thought went into how it was positioned and the philosophy behind its design and presence. It was visually placed at the entrance to the campus, front and centre, and it had an outlook to the mountains –
‘view to soul’, traditionally where the Tasmanian Aboriginal people would have gathered. The building itself has a distinctive shape and is closely aligned with the landscape – in particular the cultural garden, fire pit and the stones. There is a distinctive philosophy underlying Riawunnas placement and linkages both physical, visual and spiritual – the buildings physical representation is a direct embodiment of the circle of history, knowledge and being of place. Riawunna means ‘circle’ – [this] needs to be unbroken. Some core requirements and ideas that need to be considered in the move: • The flags at the entrance of the building • The stones – it was noted that the SW nation’s stones had disappeared from the current site and would need to be replaced (these were 5 small stones that formed a Cairn). The other Nations stones would need to be transported and erected on site at Inveresk. In what pattern or configuration is to be determined and is for further discussion. • The coals / ashes from the fire pit will need to be gathered and transported to the new fire pit at Inveresk, the ashes are of symbolic importance • It was identified that of importance was the links between educational opportunity and community engagement in whatever we do on the Inveresk site, the passing on of knowledges was deemed of significance and integrating this into the site as a whole was seen as incredibly important. Some ways of doing this could be through art, educational trails, indigenous food and plantings (the cultural garden needs to have an element of education connected, as it is essentially a repository of knowledge and food). • Presence: There are many layers of Aboriginal presence on the Inveresk site that stretch across time. Although the early history of the islands first peoples is important, Inveresk and Invermay had a significant Tasmanian Aboriginal presence particularly in the 50s and 60s when many Aboriginal families lived in the area, some of whom worked at the railway. There were also many sporting identities and influential community members that could and should be recognised as we move forward. Next steps It was determined by the group that it was important to more fully explore and document the Philosophy behind the Inveresk campus and site itself. That this philosophy would be key to informing how the whole site developed, how connections would be formed, how the University could truly take a place-based approach to the landscape (using the term as all-encompassing for the site itself – not just in terms of the ‘grounds’) and add a level of vibrancy to the campus itself (in development and actuality) A core working group was formed (Tasmanian Aboriginal Reference Group) – consisting of Caroline Spotswood, Aunty Patsy Cameron, Clair Anderson, Nala Mansell-McKenna and Ricky Maynard. Tania Harvey to attend to record the discussions. This core group would work to Develop a Philosophy of Presence. The group is to convene at Inveresk in the fortnight commencing 29 April to begin to articulate the ‘philosophy’, once determined a further session would be
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