Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Center

Since moving to Australia in January I was still feeling like all I knew of the Aboriginal people was from what I saw on Crocodile Dundee. After visiting the Melbourne Museum I felt a little disappointed with my trip through the Koorie Voices exhibition. They seemed to do a good job of celebrating the culture of the modern day Koorie people, rather than the history. This led me to the Koorie Heritage Trust. The trust is a non-profit organization that works to "protect, preserve and promote the living culture of Aboriginal people of south-eastern Australia." One way the do this is by opening their doors to the public, free of charge, to enter in and experience a bit of the Aboriginal culture.
The main floor of the center houses a collection of paintings by local Koorie artists as well as the retail shop with books, art and gifts.

The cultural center is filled with artwork, multi-media presentations, photographs, news articles and life-size replicas. Not only did we get a look into the history of the people, but also a representation of individuals struggles and successes.

Upstairs there is another art exhibition that was worth a visit all on its own, it has some amazing modern art by Koorie artists, not what you would traditionally think of, but fascinating. Each painting is accompanied by a plaque which explains the symbolism of the work.

The Cultural Center also offers some additional experiences for those wishing to learn more. Programs include: Koorie storytelling, tours through the Center, others along the Yarra, or through Flagstaff Gardens with an indigenous culture twist.

Name: Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Center Telephone: 03 8622 2600 Website: www.koorieheritagetrust.com Location: 295 King Street (Cnr Little Lonsdale Street) Getting There: Take the Free City Circle Tram and exit at King Street and La Trobe. Head South and the center is on the right side of King Street.		View Larger Map

Shrine of Remembrance

While the kids were at school the other day I hopped on the tram and headed down to the Shrine of Remembrance. You can see the Shrine as you drive down St. Kilda Rd (just south of Federation Square).

"The Shrine of Remembrance was built between July 1928 and November 1934 in remembrance of the 114,000 men and women of Victoria who served and those who died in the Great War of 1914-1918 - 89,100 of them served overseas and 19,000 did not return."

It was a really lovely experience, somber and meditative.

Each medal on this wall represented 100 people who served and 16 people who died serving their country.
They have a few different exhibitions in the visitor's center and then it's a nice walk through the Shrine and up to the balcony where you get a nice view of the gardens and the cityscape.

Be aware however that it's a pretty quick trip through the Shrine. You may want to pair this outing with a stroll through the Botanic Gardens across the street.


Name: Shrine of Remembrance
Location: Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra (across from the Royal Botanic Gardens)
Telephone: 613 9661 8100
Website: www.shrine.org.au
Admission: Free (however, they welcome donations)