By Jennifer Thompson
SYDNEY — The National Aboriginal History and Heritage Council (NAHHC) has taken the next step in its campaign to establish an Aboriginal history and cultural museum on the Elizabeth Street site of the Australian Hall.
The hall, now the Mandolin Cinema, was the site of the 1938 Aboriginal Day of Mourning and Protest meeting which marked the first wave of struggle for civil rights. On February 13, acting NSW planning minister Paul Whelan gazetted a full permanent conservation order over the building, which was threatened with demolition and redevelopment as a 43-storey tower.
The Metropolitan Land Council is now negotiating to purchase the building as the prohibition on redevelopment has lowered the price. To obtain the necessary state government support, the council nominated the history and cultural museum centre to be included on a list of proposals for a NSW public memorial to the stolen generations.
The Department of Aboriginal Affairs is surveying the extent of support for each proposal on the list. The NAHHC is recommending that supporters of the museum proposal vote for the Australian Hall and memorials proposed by the Stolen Generations Inquiry and Link-Up. To obtain a survey form, contact the NAHHC on (02) 9212 3210.
The council is also planning an Aboriginal heritage cruise, tracing the cultural map of the Gadigal people of Sydney on April 30, during Heritage Week. Bookings should be made by March 30.