Located in Wilcannia on Barkandji Country in far western New South Wales, the Baaka Cultural Centre transforms the fire-damaged remains of the historic Knox and Downs store into a contemporary cultural and learning environment for the town and surrounding region.

Developed with the Barkandji community, the centre provides spaces for the sharing of cultural knowledge, language and creative practice. The program includes a Keeping Place for the care and return of cultural artefacts, gallery and exhibition spaces, artists’ workshops, language learning rooms and a range of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.

The architecture retains and stabilises the historic stone walls of the former store while introducing new rammed earth structures formed from soil sourced near the site. Verandas, courtyards and shaded outdoor spaces create a sequence of formal and informal environments suited to the exchange of knowledge through storytelling, making and gathering.

The centre supports a broad spectrum of learning experiences – from cultural education for local young people to exhibitions and workshops that engage visitors with Barkandji culture and the Baaka River landscape.

Through this combination of spaces, the Baaka Cultural Centre functions as a place where cultural knowledge can be shared, practiced and passed between generations on Country.

Photography: Brett Boardman