The Creation Story of The LongHouse
In October 2018 the Nayri Niara Good Spirit Family engaged a traditional Indigenous practice of cleansing Country before 'business' could be conducted at the development site of the future LongHouse.
An artwork spanned the entire size of what became the LongHouse. The art and awakening ceremony, created & held by community, symbolised and honoured Country, First Nations history and culture.
The LongHouse sat on the original intertidal zone where the freshwater of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington met the saltwater of Timtumili Minanya/the River Derwent - a place rich in nutrients, diversity & Palawa heritage. The artwork and awakening ceremony, created & held by the Aboriginal community, symbolises and honours Country, heritage, history and culture.
The land the LongHouse resided on was a ‘remediation site’ being tested and worked on by Macquarie Point. The LongHouse, Nayri Niara’s residency and the Edible Precinct were the first steps towards creating a community hub, sharing First Nations knowledge and traditions, and nurturing the repair of Country and relationships.
We continue to be so grateful to all who joined us to call in good spirit and co-create this beautiful natural installation as a way for us to show our deep respect for Country, Culture, Community and the Sacred. It was an important ceremony to clear the space before the next step of developing the LongHouse - Home HEARth of the Nayri Niara family.
The LongHouse awakening ceremony and art installation was a collaboration between an array of local First Nations community members. Thank you to those who came along to share stories and good will with special thanks to cultural artists Kristian Baggenson, Ruth Langford, Allan Mansell and Warren Mason. Thank you also to Elders Uncle Dougie Mansell and Aunty Wendal Pitchford.
Thank you to Karadi Aboriginal Corporation, Budget Car Rental (Tasmania), Contemporary Art Tasmania, Australia Council for the Arts and Macquarie Point Development Corporation and Core Collective Architects for their support. City of Hobart staff were fantastic with their support.
Please watch our video of this ceremony, filmed by Stu Gibson.
We used our space to celebrate community, cultural & WellBeing events, workshops & Urban Retreats. We also offered the LongHouse for private events where we provided cultural experiences, nutritional & medicinal food offerings, space styling or a space that could be personalised to suit an event.
When you booked an event at The LongHouse, you supported our work as an Indigenous Social Enterprise.
Nayri Niara’s Indigenous Social Enterprise helps strengthen relationships between Indigenous & non-Indigenous communities, create job opportunities & skills, & help us in our mission to ‘Close the Gap’ for First Nations people.
For more information, learn about Nayri Niara’s “Our Way Home” Program.
Large Multipurpose Space
The LongHouse was a large multipurpose space nestled amongst The Edible Precinct.
The LongHouse could be sectioned off for more intimate events, workshops or conferences.
Weddings
Our large multi-purpose space could be designed to suit your dream wedding needs.
Live Music
The LongHouse was a great space for live music.
We had a large area to accommodate a stage or more intimate experiences.
You could play inside Warren Mason’s original Tin Camp Studio.
