Araluen Cultural Precinct Community Reference Group MEETING ...

Araluen Cultural Precinct Community Reference Group
MEETING SUMMARY
Meeting held in the Boardroom, Araluen Arts Centre,
Thursday 23 June 2011, 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm
1. Welcome and Introduction of Group members
Attendees to the meeting were as follows:
Lynne Thompson, Jeff Huyben, Faye Alexander, Jim Thomas, Faye Alexander,
Julie Fielke, Willie Dugald Beattie, Tim Rollason and Hugo Leschen (arrived at
5.00pm). Damien Ryan was an apology.
Group members were all welcomed, introducing themselves to each other as
follows:
a. Damien Ryan, Mayor of Alice Springs - Alice Springs Town Council
Damien was an apology for the meeting as he was interstate on Council business.
b. Fran Morey - Friends of Araluen (represented by Lynne Thompson)
Fran Morey was overseas at the time of the meeting, so was represented by Lynne
Thompson from the Friends of Araluen. Lynne is the current Treasurer of the
Friends of Araluen, having previously been the Secretary of the Association.
Lynne has a strong interest in the arts, and was involved with the Friends of
Araluen with the building of the gallery extension, which opened in 2001
c. Jeff Huyben – General Manager, Chifley Alice Springs Resort; Chair Tourism Central
Australia
Jeff Huyben has lived in Alice Springs for 7 years, having also lived and worked at
Yulara before this, so has a broad knowledge of Alice Springs and Central
Australia from a tourism perspective, having also managed the Ayers Rock Resort,
El Questro and Kings Canyon Resorts, along with Alice Springs Resort when they
were part of the Voyages Hotels and Resorts
d. Faye Alexander – Artist; Member of Central Craft
Faye is an artist who arrived in Alice Springs in 1984 and who worked at Central
Craft when it had just started. Faye loves Araluen and aims to represent Central
Craft and achieve greater interaction across the Precinct facilities.
e. Jim Thomas – President, Central Australian Aviation Museum
Jim has lived in Alice Springs for 42 years, having worked in the airport industry and
established the Desert Rose Inn. He now works as a building surveyor, with his main
interest in the Precinct being the Central Australian Aviation Museum, which he aims to
see develop further for the benefit of visitors, seeing the Connellan history and the history
of aviation in Central Australia from gliders to the space age as being very important to the
history of “Araluen”.
f. Pip McManus – Artist; Board member, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern
Territory
Pip is an artist and long term resident of Alice Springs with a broad community
interest in the Precinct, especially from the perspective of being a board member of
the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, stating that she will provide
updates on Precinct activities to the Board from her perspective as being part of
the Group. Pip has also been involved recently in the development of the Building

Our Museums and Art Galleries Sector - 10 Year Plan for the Northern Territory’s
Museums and Art Galleries 2011-2021, facilitated by the Arts and Culture Division
of the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport
(NRETAS)
g. Julie Fielke – Project Officer, Desert Knowledge Australia Outback Business
Networks; Board member, Watch this Space ARI
Julie has lived in Alice Springs for 7 years, and has a strong interest in community
development. Julie has worked in the arts as a teacher and art co-ordinator,
maintaining roles within multi cultural and remote Aboriginal community
environments. Julie has also worked at ArtBack NT, and in Aboriginal art centres
in Alice Springs. In terms of the Precinct, Julie sees community engagement as
important, and how the Precinct connects with the community to make it a better
place, with a strong interest in youth involvement and engagement.
h. Willie Dugald Beattie – Life member, Central Australian Art Society
Willie Dugald has been involved with the Central Australian Art Society for 12 – 13
years and been a member of the Friends of Araluen. He was part of the
Committee involved in building the gallery extension which opened in 2001, and is
interested in the Araluen Arts Centre in the bigger picture. He is interested in the
visual arts, in general, and has also been involved in the development and
operation of museums.
2. Ballot process
A ballot was conducted for all Group members, with the exception of members
appointed from the Alice Springs Town Council and the Friends of Araluen. The
outcome was as follows:
a. Group members appointed for one year:
Willie Dugald Beattie, Julie Fielke, Jim Thomas
b. Group members appointed for two years:
Jeff Huyben, Pip McManus, Faye Alexander
3. Role of the Community Reference Group – general introduction an
discussion
As stated in the Terms of Reference: The Community Reference Group will
provide advice to the Minister for Arts and Museums, via NRETAS in regards to the
ongoing development and strategic operation of the Araluen Cultural Precinct by
creating a dialogue between the Precinct’s management and the community,
providing an avenue for community input and feedback and by assisting with
implementation of the Araluen Cultural Precinct Development Plan.
a. The process for this was discussed and accepted as being as follows:
Meeting summaries will be developed after each Community Reference Group
meeting. Initial meeting summaries will be prepared by the Director, Araluen
Cultural Precinct and then distributed to all Group members for input regarding the
content. Final meeting summaries will then be provided to the Executive Director,
Arts and Culture, NRETAS, for provision to the Chief Executive, NRETAS, who is
responsible for all reporting to the Minister for Arts and Museums.
It was suggested that there perhaps needed to be more representation on the
Community Reference Group from the Museum of Central Australia, however it
was also discussed that the Group could call on specific people and knowledge
bases as required.
Discussion took place in regards to any possible involvement with the Group by the
Precinct’s Arrernte Custodians, with discussion realising that this would be
possible when there were issue to be discussed involving sacred sites or
Aboriginal cultural protocols, which is the main focus of the Arrernte Reference
Group.

4. Araluen Cultural Precinct Development Plan - general introduction and
discussion regading short term, medium term and long term strategies and
projects
As stated in the introduction to the Araluen Cultural Precinct Development Plan
2010-2015: The Araluen Cultural Precinct aims to fulfil broad community
aspirations across the arts, culture and history fields, by creating an integrated
visitor experience encompassing the region’s key cultural institutions and
collections. The Precinct provides a balanced program of activities, events and
displays for the benefit of local people and visitors to Alice Springs, while
supporting and encouraging the development of unique experiences, festivals and
events, celebrating the unique histories of life in Central Australia and fostering life
long learning and artistic expression. The Precinct collects, displays and interprets
objects and information of art, culture, history and heritage, while developing and
presenting living experiences for enjoyment, entertainment and inspiration.
An overview of the short term, medium term and longer term strategies was
discussed, as outlined in the Plan, identifying that short term goals aimed to be
achieved within the 5 year life of the plan, medium terms goals either started or
achieved, and the ground work put in place for the longer terms goals by 2015.
5. Araluen Cultural Precinct Development Plan – Current projects
a. Air conditioning system
It was noted that funding of $4.5M has been allocated in the 2011-2012 budget to
develop a new water chilled system, incorporating a new plant room to be built at
the rear of the Araluen Arts Centre. Plans showing the location of the plant room
were provided.
b. Solar Power Generation Project
It was noted that a total of $1.1M has been allocated to this project, with plans
distributed, as prepared by the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT), showing
proposed placement of all solar panels on the roof of the Araluen Arts Centre.
There was discussion in regards to how the project will be managed, with the
Department of Construction and Infrastructure working in partnership with CAT to
deliver the project.
c. Slip Lanes
Two new slip lanes are currently under construction. Plans detailing their location
were distributed.
d. Precinct Grounds
Grounds of the Precinct continue to be developed, upgraded and maintained in
partnership with staff from the Alice Springs Desart Park. The area along
Memorial Drive is to be developed further in 2011-2012.
All items were noted by the Group, with general support acknowledged for all
current projects.
6. Araluen Cultural Precinct Development Plan – Future projects
a. Artists In Residence
As outlined in the Development Plan, an artist’s in residence program would
provide inspiration, an exchange of ideas and the ongoing transference of
conceptual and practical knowledge and skills for the benefit of the wider
community. It was noted that such a program is an opportunity for community
engagement and would value add to the Precinct’s current visual art programs.
Initial research will be undertaken on funding opportunities and program run by
other organisations in other states, with opportunities for local, national and
international exchanges. There is also a possibility of developing an association
with the Asia link program operated by the University of Melbourne, or develop a
link or funding base with the Australian Council for the Arts.
Accommodation and studio space is available on the Precinct, and these venues
could be provided as in kind support to any Artist in Residence program to be
developed or achieve a funding base.

Discussion also suggested opportunities for an Artist in Residence Program at
Central Craft, for which there is a visitor expectation. Artists in the Group
suggested that if such a program was developed, a balance would need to be
maintained between artists working with visitor interaction, and artists having
personal time to undertake their own artwork and / or time to impart skills to local
artists.
b. Café
One of the key priorities of the Development Plan is the establishment of a café on
the Precinct, which the meeting agreed was a priority, with a proposed site of the
old Mess House, next to Central Craft, being seen as an appropriate venue and
location for development, in conjunction with an outdoor event space adjacent to
Central Craft and the Clifford Possum mural.
It was discussed that Precinct visitation may need to be grown further before a
café would be viable, however it was also suggested that a café would attract
further visitation, especially local visitation. It was agreed that the general
principles of who, what, where, why and how a café could be developed would
need to be clearly articulated in a business case before any further advancement.
One ideas discussed were that given the proximity to the Yeperenye caterpillar
sculpture, any roof design in the area could be developed in the shape of a
Yeperenye moth to compliment the sculpture, subject to appropriate consultation,
and that bush foods could be a possibly when establishing the café’s menu.
7. Araluen Cultural Precinct Development Plan – Site Plan Discussion
One of the key achievements in the short term, with key input from Community
Reference Group members, will be the finalisation of an agreed site plan for future
developments across the Precinct, which will include, amongst other items,
discussion and planning in regards to expansion of the Araluen Arts Centre foyer,
paving of the front road, creating a forecourt entrance to the Arts Centre,
revamping the car park, building shaded walkways, creating an outdoor event
space and updating and increasing outdoor interpretive signage of Precinct
facilities.
One idea presented was that if an outdoor, shaded event space was developed
between Central Craft and the Araluen Arts Centre, with the possible inclusion of a
café, that it’s design could compliment the Yeperenye caterpillar sculpture and be
shaped like a Yeperenye moth, creating a unique outdoor eating and event area.
8. General Discussions
a. The Precinct’s profile
There was general discussion in regards to Precinct visitation in general and
community awareness of the facility as a whole, within the context of tourism
markets and the changing nature of the Alice Springs community as a whole,
which on current figures turns over by 55% per annum. It was noted that many
people in Alice Springs are not aware of the facility. More can be done in regards
to building the local profile of the Precinct, with a suggestion being to have a
specific meeting to look at the roadblocks in getting people to the Precinct and who
the potential markets are. The possibility of attracting and involving staff involved
in the local tourism industry, such as the twilight events run by Tourism Central
Australia, was seen as one possibility to expanding local knowledge and
awareness.
b. Pronounciation of words in other than English
It was noted that all Araluen staff should be aware of how to pronounce all words
used within exhibitions and displays, especially those in Aboriginal languages, and
that this information should be supplied in its phonetic form for the benefit of
visitors.

c. Aboriginal cultural experiences in Alice Springs
It was noted that there is not a great deal on offer in regards to an Aboriginal
cultural experiences for visitors in Alice Springs, and that there was possibilities for
developing this / these kinds of experience/s at the Precinct.
d. Meeting agendas
The process of developing meeting agendas for future meetings was discussed,
whereby it was agreed that the agenda for the next meeting would be developed
by all members suggesting agenda items.
9. Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Community Reference Group will be held in November
2011, with an exact date to be set closer to the time.