First Look at QUAMPI as it Nears Completion
On a warm morning on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), a small group gathered to soft launch the Quandamooka Arts and Culture Centre (QUAMPI) for the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC).
Nestled between the beach and the bush, the site came to life as dancers from Yulu Burri Ba welcomed visitors – offering a taste of the talent that will soon be celebrated at this world-class venue.
QUAMPI embodies a long-held ambition to create a prominent space for the Nunukul, Goenpul, and Ngugui Peoples. Designed by the Quandamooka People, QUAMPI honours the Ancestors and Elders as an enduring site of significance to welcome people of all cultures for truth telling and education through sharing of Quandamooka creativity, knowledge and history.
Featuring exhibition and workshop spaces, a stunning open foyer, yarning circle, Elders space, café and gallery shop, QUAMPI’s vision is to showcase Quandamooka arts and culture, while also inviting First Nations artists from throughout Australia and overseas to exhibit and collaborate.
COX Director, Richard Coulson
QUAMPI is a community space, a cultural space and a public offering all responding to place. A strong sense of community welcome and ownership has been a critical component of the design.
“This launch unveiled some of the building’s ties to Country,” says Richard. “The name QUAMPI is borrowed from the local Island Oyster shell. Embedding these shells in walls made of the Island’s coloured sands was an important community engagement piece. The natural setting and connection to the Bay and wider Quandamooka Country are emerging with the external community spaces forming an important part of the project.’’
This project has been a valuable step in COX’s ongoing Reconciliation journey. True co-design and collaboration emerge when we partner with communities, building both capability and confidence.
Co-designed with the Quandamooka people, the Centre reflects the deep integration of land and sea into its construction, including rammed earth, shells and native timbers. Associate Director Ali Farmer added, “It’s been a tremendous honour to work alongside Quandamooka Elders and community members over the past seven years. They’ve been incredibly generous in sharing their knowledge of people, place, and culture.”
COX Associate Director, Ali Farmer
Located at Gumpi (Dunwich) and overlooking Moreton Bay, the Centre is part of a wider arts and culture program that extends well beyond the building footprint.
Due for completion by November this year and officially opening in early 2025, QUAMPI is a key project of the Queensland Government’s Minjerribah Futures program, supporting the transition of Minjerribah from its past reliance on sand mining to a new future as a leading destination for cultural and eco-tourism. The Centre also received funding from the Australian Government’s Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC).
Project inception and community engagement was realised in collaboration with The Fulcrum Agency.