History

Jim Berg, the late Ron Castan A.M. Q.C. and Justice Ron Merkel established the Koorie Heritage Trust Inc in 1985. The Trust was formed for the cultural heritage of Koorie people to be owned, controlled and managed by us.

Originally housed at the Museum of Victoria, the Trust has grown from a small community organisation into a cultural icon for both Koorie and non-Koorie communities located in a brand new, three-storey permanent Cultural Centre situated in the heart of Melbourne.

In 1988 we opened KOORIE, our Keeping Place and permanent exhibition,history and culture from time immemorial to the present. KOORIE closed in December 1997 due to the relocation of the Museum of Victoria and the State Library of Victoria.

The Koorie Heritage Trust Inc emerged from a need for greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of Koorie culture throughout the community, and the immediate need for Koorie cultural heritage material to be controlled, managed and curated by Koorie people. Since then, the Trust’s activities and programmes have expanded to address a need in the community for the collection and preservation of oral history for future generations and the education system’s increasing need for Koorie input in the teaching of Koorie studies.

In 1999 the Trust planned to open Melbourne’s first ever Koorie Cultural Centre at 35-41 Lonsdale Street. Tragically, fire guttered the building in February, only a month before the Trust was to move in. Architects and engineers estimated that it would be two years until the Lonsdale Street building would be ready to move into.

The Trust did move homes in 1999 but to temporary premises in Flinders Lane. Soon afterwards the Trust decided to sell its Lonsdale Street site and started looking for a new location to house the Trust’s cultural centre.

Finally on 24 March 2003, the Koorie Heritage Trust opened the Koorie Culture Centre at 295 King Street Melbourne.
The Trust’s new home is representative of our growth and maturity into Melbourne’s foremost Koorie cultural venue both for tourism and education.

You can view a video interview with Jim Berg about the establishment of the Koorie Heritage Trust Inc at www.cv.vic.gov.au .

At this website click the following links:

  1. Explore;
  2. Indigenous Stories;
  3. The Koorie Heritage Trust Collections and History.