The new Boola Bardip Museum in Perth's Cultural Centre has opened after undergoing extensive redevelopment.
The museum's name means "many stories" in Noongar and is a nod to the significant contribution of the Indigenous community in Western Australia.
The name was selected in consultation with the Western Australia Museums Aboriginal Advisory Committee, and the Whadjuk Content Working Group. The translation got approval from the Noongar Boodjar Aboriginal Language Group before it was officially announced.
Alex Coles, CEO of WA Museum told NITV News the museum is committed to representing the voices, views, and stories of Indigenous people and is "immensely proud" of the name selection which was approved by senior Whadjuk Nyoongar Elders.
“The WA Museum committed itself to ensuring that many voices are represented in the new Museum and in all its practice...The Museum is based on Whadjuk Noongar Country and for this reason the use of the Noongar words for ‘many stories’ - Boola Bardip - seemed a very natural thing to do," Mr Cole said.
The museum has undergone a $400 million redevelopment and was under construction for four years.
The new building is triple the size of the original building and will include eight permanent galleries and a 1000 square meter temporary exhibition gallery, as well as a gallery, shop, and cafe.
Premier Mark McGowan said he hoped the museum will be considered "one of the great public buildings of Australia".
The Culture and Arts Minister David Templeman told NITV News that the museum will recognise the significant role of Aboriginal people in WA’s shared cultural heritage and is set to become a "huge" tourist attraction for the state.
“There is a gallery dedicated to the display of WA’s Aboriginal cultural materials and experiences but, importantly, Aboriginal stories are woven throughout the whole Museum, giving visitors multiple perspectives on the history and voices we all share,” said Mr Templeman.
"We're very proud of our history and our people and this place condenses all of that in one magnificent building that is a celebration of all things West Australian.”
