Breaking Ground at Murrin Bridge

13 March, 2023

Big celebrations at Murrin Bridge recently, with a special ceremony marking the start of a building project that will transform the community.

Community members gathered for a ‘turning of the sod’ ceremony, to mark the beginning of a much-needed preschool extension and community hub.

The Murrin Bridge Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Murrin Bridge Preschool Association worked with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) on the design, so that it fulfilled the community’s needs and aspirations for the future.

Murrin Bridge LALC CEO Judy Bartholomew says it was vital that community members had a say in how the new space would be set out.

“We held a number of community design workshops with UTS on what we need and want here for the future,” she said. “For a small community like ours, it’s vital that any common public space has the potential to be well-utilised by everyone.”

Murrin Bridge LALC Chairperson Betty Biggs agrees.

“This has been a long time coming. The preschool extension was the original idea, but we all knew we needed more, especially a community hub where services can operate and community can get together,” she said.

Services include Mid Lachlan Housing, local health care providers, physiotherapy services for the children as well as Centrelink and the Regional Enterprise Development Institute (RED.I).

The new design will retain the existing preschool building, and incorporate two new pavilions to house the preschool extension, a playground, designated spaces for services and a women’s area.

Mrs Bartholomew says the three buildings will be encircled by a veranda to create a triangular courtyard which will become the heart of a new community space.

“We’ve developed a new courtyard garden design, which will be home to traditional and medicinal plants, a fire pit for community to gather, as well as new space for everyone to meet during Sorry Business, which we currently don’t have,” she said.

The new community hub will celebrate the Ngyiampaa, Barkindji and Wiradjuri people, with the three Nation groups forming Murrin Bridge back in 1949.  

“We’re a small community but we have big hearts and dreams,” Ms Biggs said. “The Murrin Bridge LALC Board is committed to making sure our Elders and community have services available locally that bigger towns take for granted, and that our children have a great start to life. We’re very excited about our new possibilities.”

All community images above are copyright to the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

Schematic design images of the new community hub and preschool extension by Supercontext, Campbell Drake (CD Studio), UTS, Urtzi Grau and GFA, and are used with permission.

Acknowledgement

We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of the lands where we work as well as across the lands we travel through. We also acknowledge our Elders past, present and emerging.

Artwork Credit: Craig Cromelin, from a painting he did titled, "4 favourite fishing holes". It is a snippet of his growing years on the Lachlan River, featuring yabby, turtle, fish and family.

Image