The space will be established progressively by Sydney Living Museums in partnership with the Aboriginal Languages Trust after extensive consultation with the Aboriginal community, and a series of exhibitions, public programs and workshops will then take place on site.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and the Arts Ben Franklin said Australia should be a society that remembers, talks about and reconciles with its past.

“Our history matters and it is filled with moments both dark and delightful. To acknowledge our past effectively, we need spaces where difficult truths and uncomfortable perspectives are free to be expressed,” Franklin said.

“History is happening now and we will work tirelessly with partners and community to bring into being a place that will engage with the past with a mind for the future.”

Sydney Living Museums head of First Nations cultural engagement Peter White said the space is a new model for cultural institutions, where Aboriginal people, places and perspectives are included.

“Together, we hold unparalleled documentation of our past; what happened, where it happened, how it happened and why it happened.

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“There’s an expectation from community to bridge the gap between institutions and community and we want to do as much as we can to make what we have as accessible, honest and relevant as we can,” White said.

Aboriginal Languages Trust chair Jason Behrendt said the partnership between the Aboriginal Languages Trust and Sydney Living Museums and State Archives and Records Authority is an important first step in building an enduring relationship based on mutual respect and understanding of our shared history.

“For Aboriginal people, languages are part of our living culture. It is a fundamental part of identity – a physical, intellectual and spiritual connection to culture, country and community,” Behrendt said.

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