Museum of the Great Southern
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LOCATION:
Albany, WA
CLIENT:
Museum of the Great Southern
YEAR:
2022
BRIEF:
The City of Albany is preparing a year-long event and marketing program to mark the 200th anniversary of WA’s first European settlement, whilst simultaneously seeking to honour the Menang Noongar history that stretches back thousands of years before the arrival of the first European settlers on December 26, 1826.
The Museum of the Great Southern is an important cultural hub in the town and particularly relevant to the bicentenary, as it marks the site where the settlers first disembarked from King George Sound. It was as part of the 150th anniversary of settlement in 1976 when the brig Amity replica was first unveiled, making the site a significant part of the 2026 celebrations.
The museum site is home to a number of buildings that denote European settlement, and the brief was to incorporate those existing elements into a broader landscape that interprets the Menang Noongar culture, so that both of these stories are woven into the site for future visitors.
DESIGN INTENT:
The concept design seeks to embed the natural, cultural and heritage values of the site into the project, helping to establish a strong sense of place.
The fish trap sculpture celebrates the aquacultural ingenuity of the Menang people and references the fish traps throughout the region, including those in Oyster Harbour. Interpretive signage and a generous landing area with seating provides an opportunity for school groups and tourists to gather and reflect on the site. The intention is that the sculpture will be tendered to a local artist, with the renders indicative only.
A new boardwalk that extends the path network around the site links the brig to the Mia Mia, which strategically faces visitors approaching Albany from the south-west along Princess Royal Drive, and will be a ceremonial space for cultural events.
A nature playground has been designated beneath the mature Moreton Bay fig tree, and an adjacent undercover pavilion with barbeque facilities and seating for visitors is nestled between the heritage buildings, providing spectacular views out to the harbour.
The banks of the tidal lake will hold a variety of endemic rushes and reeds, softening the structures and providing a visually pleasing junction between the water and the landscape. New planting areas throughout the site will introduce endemic species, including a revitalisation of the existing bush tucker garden.
