‘Nation leading’ Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence opens

The Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence officially opened its doors today, establishing a world-class education, sporting, and public gathering space that honours the world’s oldest living culture on Yorta Yorta Country, Shepparton, Victoria.

The ceremony included a Welcome to Country, followed by speeches from Uncle Paul Briggs OAM and the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples. The event highlighted the Centre’s significance as a place of cultural pride and a hub for learning and community engagement.

As a result of a genuine co-design process, the Centre’s design, guided by ARM Architecture with landscape architects Bush Projects, reflects a deep commitment to the Yorta Yorta community, with spaces thoughtfully crafted to support education, sporting activities, and the transmission of First Peoples’ knowledge.

Photo: Eleisha Collins.

The project comprises two parts: an upgraded Rumbalara Football and Netball Club to the north and a new community and academic building to the south.

The new building, resembling the Aboriginal flag from above, features a central circular courtyard, a veranda for indoor/outdoor learning, and a firepit, all developed in close collaboration with stakeholders. The design also incorporates the Nanyak Wall, a photographic representation of the community’s history, which extends into the landscape and connects to the northern site. The northern site includes an upgraded Rumbalara Football and Netball Club, with new netball facilities, renovated clubrooms, and a unifying canopy that reflects the colours of the Rumbalara logo, reinforcing community identity.

“The Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence and the Rumbalara Football Netball Club are so unique they are nation leading. I am excited and optimistic about this investment’s potential to deliver the future to Yorta Yorta and other First Nations including the people of south-eastern Australia,” said Deputy Chair of Munarra Ltd, Uncle Paul Briggs OAM. 

“We are incredibly proud to have been part of the Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence project. This Centre is more than just a building; it represents the spirit and resilience of the Yorta Yorta peoples and their profound contributions to the community. It has been an honour to work alongside the community, Elders, and stakeholders to bring this vision to life and create a space that celebrates and sustains First Peoples’ knowledge and culture,” said ARM Director, Jesse Judd.

Photo: Jesse Judd.

Munarra Limited, an all-First Peoples board, oversaw the project and will manage the future operations of the building. The project was delivered by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, First People State Relations, Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA), and supported by a financial contribution from the University of Melbourne.

The Centre was built by Indigenous-owned company TVN On-Country. The project is the largest ever awarded by the Victorian state government to a First Nations owned and operated company and created twelve new jobs.

The consultant team included Bush Projects, Codus, Gallery Kaiea, MGAC, PLP Building Surveyors & Consultants, Spacecraft, Spiire, Vivid Wayfinding, WSP, and
21-19 Pty Ltd.

The Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence represents the resilience and future aspirations of the Yorta Yorta people and will continue to be a place of learning, cultural celebration, and community gathering for years to come.

Read the Victorian state government’s press release here.

Key members of the ARM project team. From L-R: Tom Jones (Project Architect), Ray Marshall (Snr. Project Architect), Andrea Wilson (Interiors Lead), Jesse Judd (Project Director). Absent: Andrew Lilleyman (Design Director).