DJAARA, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, has bought the Yung Balug Museum and its associated Cultural Heritage site at Boort. The site is an important cultural landmark for Dja Dja Wurrung People and the wider community. Its unique collection of cultural items and its role in sharing knowledge, stories and history were considered before the acquisition. The purchase will allow the place to be cared for, protected and developed under Dja Dja Wurrung stewardship.
Greek Cypriot community advocate Constantine Pagonis has received a Council on the Ageing Victoria Senior Achiever Award. The honour was presented on Tuesday, 20 October, as part of the 2026 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards. Pagonis has spent more than 40 years as a volunteer, mentor and advocate for culturally diverse communities. He has served on the Welcoming Cities governance committee since 2015 and edited a newsletter for the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria. He also volunteers to digitise historical records at the Australian Jazz Museum.
A special ERT3 programme linked two Cretan brothers living on different continents, moving viewers to tears during their reunion on screen. Antonis Tsourdalakis, a long-time member of Melbourne's Greek community, appeared from Istanbul. His brother Sifis, a lyre player, joined from San Francisco. The show also previewed a twenty-day tour of Australia by the Kourites Cultural Heritage Centre, running from 30 October to 18 November, with dance seminars and training for teachers. The Kourites last visited Melbourne in 2016.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Wadi Wadi Traditional Owner Vince Kirby has won a second legal challenge against a cultural heritage approval for floodplain engineering works at Vinifera on the Murray River in Victoria. The Victorian government conceded that Traditional Owners were not properly consulted and that the approval was made in error. The Supreme Court ordered the approval set aside, so the project cannot proceed under its current management plan. It follows a similar concession over the Nyah project in July. Environmental Justice Australia lawyer Mera Sivanesan said the government had got two cultural heritage approvals wrong in three months.
Melbourne-based collective Resonate Heart will stage Forest Living Room at the Bowery Theatre on Saturday 21 November, from 6pm to 7.30pm. The interdisciplinary performance combines music, dance, gesture, shadow puppetry and multilingual poetry, drawing on the artists' cultural heritages in seven languages. Alongside the show, the collective will run free community workshops at St Albans Community Centre on 7, 13 and 20 November. The workshops are open to participants of all ages and are supported by Creative Partnerships Australia.
A master puppeteer from Java has brought wayang kulit, or shadow puppetry, back to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The art form had not been performed there for almost 80 years, after the island's last puppeteer, Nek Ichang, died in 1949. Sumardi's performances on Home Island brought back memories for older residents and drew young islanders into the tradition. Around 70 of the original puppets remain in the Home Island Museum. UNESCO has recognised the practice on its intangible cultural heritage list.
A lone church on the uninhabited islet of Lakena in Tuvalu still draws families from a neighbouring island for services and gatherings. Researchers say heritage such as this needs greater attention as rising sea levels and migration change the country. Tuvalu is building coastal defences and adding land to Funafuti, while an Australian treaty offers up to 280 permanent residency places each year through a ballot. Researchers have documented traditional buildings using photographs, drawings, interviews and 3D models. They say local communities should decide which sites and traditions need protection.
Associate Professor George Frazis has spent more than four decades teaching Greek in Australia, aiming to preserve its heritage for younger generations. A $30,000 contribution from the Greek Government, routed through Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is supporting Greek and cultural studies at Charles Darwin University. Frazis said the money mainly funds academic publications, including a fourth volume on the Hellenic Diaspora, and gives the program more room for other activities. He described teaching as a lifelong commitment, and called for scholarships so young Greek teachers can study in Greece.
Tasmania's second-oldest museum, housing the last Tasmanian tiger remains and Captain Cook artifacts, faces significant job cuts. The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery may lose a third of its staff, including curators, scientists, and librarians, under government spending reductions. Critics warn these cuts threaten the museum's ability to maintain collections and exhibitions, risking access to cultural heritage. The state government aims to reduce 1800 public sector jobs by 2032, citing budget sustainability. A parliamentary petition with nearly 6000 signatures urges the government to reverse the cuts, with concerns raised by researchers and universities worldwide.
A new $126 million visitor centre has opened at the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, funded jointly by the federal and state governments. The Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre features a 230-seat cafe, gallery space, and a rooftop lookout, with native gardens and parking for 950 vehicles. It will support regional businesses and the state's visitor economy, with bookings required from 16 October and free until April 2027. The centre is operated by the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority.
A $126 million visitor centre at the Twelve Apostles in Victoria will open on 16 October, requiring visitors to book ahead. The Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre, funded by federal and Victorian governments, includes a cafe, gallery, and rooftop lookout. The precinct features native gardens, walking paths, and parking for over 950 vehicles. The centre incorporates cultural elements of the Keerray Woorroong people, with displays and artwork throughout. The project aims to support sustainable tourism and manage visitor pressure on the coastline.
