What a decade

After a decade of success in the local area, Muru Mittigar is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a range of events across the month of November.

Cultural Coordinator at Muru Mittigar, Rab Hammond, said he was thrilled to see the centre reach this point and looks forward to the years ahead.

It has been so rewarding to see the centre, and our culture, thrive, Rab said.

Our culture was almost completely wiped out in the area before the centre started, so the fact that an Aboriginal non-profit organisation has been so successful is a great achievement.

Among the many achievements of the centre is the NSW Tourism Award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism in 2005 and 2006 as well as the QANTAS Australian Tourism Award in 2006.

The anniversary celebration this month will include the grand opening of a new Indigenous exhibition featuring the work of the Muru Mittigar resident artist, John Boney.

John has been at the centre for over 12 months and he is such an inspiration and a real mentor to the staff and visitors, Rab said.

The exhibition will also feature the works of Kaylene Slater, Chontelle Hayes, Ty Biles, Darren Horwood, Judy Harris, Londa Harris and Yondee, as well as woodwork by Kevin Welsh, Jerry Payne, Ken Dundas and jewellery by Tracey Andrews.

The exhibition will be open to the public from this Saturday, November 15, to Saturday, November 29, from 10am to 4pm.

Muru Mittigar will also be celebrating with a free open day on Sunday, November 23, from 10am to 3pm. The day will highlight the range of cultural activities on offer at the centre, as well as include a didgeridoo competition, dancing displays and Aboriginal artists making traditional wooden weapons.

Our 10-year anniversary is a great achievement but we want to continue to educate visitors to Australia about our culture, Rab said.