THE opening of the long-awaited community shed at Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association last week will provide a space for year round, weather-proof activities for everyone who comes to visit.
The new space includes a kitchen, toilet and shower, and a large open area suitable for cultural programs and tours, as well as public events.
The shed, which was opened Thursday 1 July, was initially paid for by the now-Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Gandel Philanthropy and Erica Foundation, Mornington Peninsula Shire and public donations.
The Aboriginal Gathering Place in Pound Road, Hastings has grown over the past seven years. Throughout the week, cultural programs take place for women, men, children and youth, and Fridays are community drop-in days when the Gathering Place is open to the broader, non-Indigenous public.
Executive officer men’s business Peter Aldenhoven said school groups visited most weeks and many people attended cultural events throughout the year.
First published in the Western Port News – 7 July 2021
