It was with a heavy heart that we had to say goodbye to our beloved LongHouse. So grateful for all the people and organisations that supported Nayri Niara establishing a cultural communal hub in the heart of Nipaluna/Hobart. The LongHouse was a home for activities, projects and events such as our Home HEARTh Markets, many mentoring programs and wellbeing experiences.
As we are taking time to reconsider where and how we would like to find a new home that can see us all flourish, journey with us back through what the LongHouse venue provided and what it meant, and will always mean, to so many of us.
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 Aunty Wendal Pitchford and Uncle Dougie Mansell.
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 continues to help strengthen relationships between Indigenous & non-Indigenous communities, create jobs and opportunities and move us closer to our mission to ‘Close the Gap’ for First Nations people.
For more information, learn about Nayri Niara’s “Our Way Home” Program.
The LongHouse was a large multipurpose space, nestled amongst the Edible Precinct, that we often sectioned off for more intimate events, workshops or conferences.
Our large multi-purpose space could be styled to suit your dream wedding needs.
The LongHouse was also a great space for live music. We had a large area to accommodate a stage or more intimate experiences. You could also play instruments in Warren Mason’s original Tin Camp Studio.
