Tjunta Cultural Centre

Overview

Djoondalup / Point Walter is located in the suburb of Bicton, within the City of Melville in Western Australia. Point Walter Reserve is a popular spot for outdoor activities and is known for its long stretching sandbar that projects from the shore out into the surrounding Swan river and can be walked along at low tide. The area has a rich attachment to the Dreamtime for Indigenous Australians, and has had many changes over the years. It is home to many birds and wildlife, and aside from the parkland areas it has its own woodland habitat and limestone ridge.

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The Dreamtime is the basis for Aboriginal religion and culture and the Beeliar tribe of Whadjuk Noongar. These original custodians of the land, tell of specific dreamtime stories that are connected to this area. In particular the story of Tjunta, a tall female spirit who had long flowing white hair. The Beeliar people believed that the Milky Way was Tjunta’s hair, and that a strand fell from the sky and created the long sandbar at Djoondalup. This story shows a strong connection between earth (land and water) and sky.

Djoondalup was originally a place for women and children, and a clan meeting point. Men would swim over from Mosman Park that was known for its fertility rock, a rock that was said to impregnate women within two weeks of touching it. The clans would float their children across the water on logs, as they were nomadic and moved across the local areas depending on the seasons. The Beeliar people also used this area for fishing (fish traps) and they practised controlled buring to keep the undergrowth low and to flush out game. These examples show strong connections to land and water.

Concept

The site analysis and findings reveal an opportunity to call attention to the connection between the water, earth, and sky, as this connection appears to have been lost over time. I proposed an interpretive centre that includes an observation area specifically designed to showcase the night sky, in particular the Milky Way. Additionally, there was an opportunity to deepen the connection between land and water by providing an underwater observation area for people to view the local marine life. These observation areas would be entwined as one structure and enhanced by an area reserved for Indigenous ceremonies (song and dance) that tell the Beeliar stories about Djoondalup and the Dreamtime.

The structure will serve to physically reconnect the earth (land and water) with the sky through its observation areas, and the Indigenous ceremonies will reinforce the importance of these connections by educating people about Djoondalup and its Dreamtime origins.