Internet Edition Issue 5
August 2005

Editorial

Viewpoint

The Essential "Kimberley Companion"

La Grange Mission 50th Anniversary

From the Office of Justice, Ecology & Peace

Opening of Kimberley Education and Resource Centre

KCP Magazine

University of Notre Dame Australia Broome Campus

Opening of Kimberley
Education and Resource Centre

A very moving ceremony to bless and open the Kimberley Education and Resource Centre which houses the Library at the University of Notre Dame Australia was held on Friday 1st July and witnessed by many staff, students and friends of the University.

Cissy Djiagween, a local Yawuru elder gave the traditional welcome to country, Bishop Christopher Saunders blessed the facility and Dr Brendan Nelson MHR, Federal Minister for Education, Science & Training officially opened the new Library.

The new facility has been in planning since 1998, when it was determined that the then current library needed to be upgraded to better serve the needs of the students, staff and community.

Artists and dancers from Warmun Community escorted Dr Patricia Kailis (centre) to unveil a framed collage of the paintings in the collection now on display in the University Library in Broome. Photo: Red Dirt Photography

Notre Dame’s Broome Campus Board of Management member Esther Bevan together with the Foundation Dean of the Campus, Sister Pat Rhatigan, conceived and coordinated the plan for local Aboriginal artists to contribute to the construction of the library by producing artworks and donating the proceeds of the art sale toward the construction cost of the Library.

Twenty-seven artists participated in the project, as for many it was a way of contributing to something they believed would benefit their children and grandchildren. Sadly a number of the artists have since passed away.

Dr Patricia Kailis, a Governor of the University, and her late husband philanthropic entrepreneur, Michael Kailis had originally planned to auction the art work in New York. However, fearing that the works would be sold individually and the collection lost to the Kimberley, Dr Kailis purchased the collection herself and donated it back to the Broome Campus, where it is now exhibited in the new library.

The Federal Government contributed around $2 million toward the Library and the development of the communication and information technology infrastructure.

Vice Chancellor, Dr Peter Tannock, in his address said, ”The University is extremely grateful to all those who have contributed to such a worthy cause. The library is a wonderful facility that will benefit our students, staff and the community immensely”.

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