Reconciliation Place facts for kids
Reconciliation Place is a special outdoor area in the Parliamentary Triangle in Canberra, Australia. It was started in 2001 to help bring together Australia’s Indigenous people and the people who settled here later. It's a place to remember and celebrate their journey towards understanding and respect.
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What is Reconciliation Place?
Reconciliation Place is a unique outdoor design. It has a gentle hill in the middle, which fits perfectly with the land and water designs created by Walter Burley Griffin for Canberra. From this spot, you can see the important lines of the city's design.
How Reconciliation Place Was Designed
The design for Reconciliation Place was chosen in a national competition in 2001. The National Capital Authority ran the competition. The winning design was created by architect Simon Kringas. Sharon Payne, an Indigenous Cultural Advisor, helped make sure the design respected Indigenous culture.
Artworks and Stories
A public walkway connects the Australian High Court and the National Library of Australia. Along this path, there are artworks called "Slivers." These artworks show pictures and words about different parts of reconciliation. They tell important stories like:
- Welcome to Country: This part recognizes the Ngunnawal people. They are the traditional owners of the land where Reconciliation Place is built.
- The 1967 Referendum: This remembers a big vote in 1967. Australians voted to change the Constitution. This allowed the government to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Native Title Rights: This artwork shows how native title rights were recognized. This meant that Indigenous people's traditional ownership of land was part of Australia's law.
- Indigenous Contributions: This celebrates how Indigenous people have helped Australia. This includes their achievements in sports and in defending the country.
- Indigenous Leaders: This section highlights important Indigenous leaders. It features Neville Bonner and Vincent Lingiari.
- Stolen Generations: This remembers the sad time when Indigenous children were taken from their families.
New Artworks Added
Since Reconciliation Place opened, more artworks have been added. These include:
- Female Indigenous Leadership: Three bronze artworks celebrate the role of Indigenous women leaders. They especially honor their work for reconciliation. This includes their part in the 1967 Referendum. These artworks feature Dr Faith Bandler, Lady Jessie Street, and Evelyn Scott.
- Resilience and Achievements: Three stone artworks honor the strength and achievements of Indigenous Australians. These celebrate people like Ruby Hammond, Robert Lee, Wenten Rubuntja, Bill Neidjie, and Gatjil Djerrkura.
The walkway is designed to change over time. More artworks can be added in the future.
Building Challenges
Building Reconciliation Place had some challenges. It had a small budget of $3.5 million. It also had a very short time to be designed and built (only four months). There were also some changes to the design because of rules. For example, the original plan was for Reconciliation Place to connect smoothly with the nearby Commonwealth Place. This connection didn't happen as planned.
Despite these challenges, Reconciliation Place is seen as a great achievement for Australia.
Images for kids
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Fire and Water (2007) by Judy Watson
