A new $9.15
million public library featuring an innovative circular design,
planted roofscape and an amphitheatre, is officially opened.
The Boronggook Drysdale Library (2- 8 Wyndham Street) was opened with a
Wadawurrung Traditional Owner Welcome to Country, Smoking and Didgeridoo
Ceremony on Friday 5 May 2023, by Mayor Trent Sullivan and Member for Bellarine
Alison Marchant MP.
The Council contributed $8.156 million and the Victorian Government $1 million.
Boronggook (pronounced Bo-rong-gook) is the traditional Wadawurrung name for the
area, which was a
place of gathering and connection and means ‘turf’.
The building, designed by Melbourne firm Antarctica in collaboration with
Architecture Associates, evolved out of careful consideration of the greater
context, including conversations with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, local
residents and key community stakeholders.
The two-storey building references the rich Aboriginal and masonry history of
Drysdale’s town centre, while at the same time providing a contemporary
reinterpretation.
Library features include:
- Communal multi-purpose spaces;
- Quiet study areas;
- Adult changing places facility;
- Internal courtyard garden;
- City of Greater Geelong customer service point;
- Resource-efficient systems;
- Print and multimedia collections for loan;
- Public Access Internet PCs;
- Free WIFI access for library members;
- Weekly sessions of Story Time, Toddler Time, and
Baby Time; and
- Self-checkouts featuring multiple language
settings other than English.
The innovative green roof is the first of its kind in
our region, featuring 4,300 plants (including 18 different native species) that
are already providing habitat for birds, bees and butterflies.
The City also commissioned artist Sanné Mestrom to create The Secret, a curved
public artwork of a woman reclining in the grass that becomes both a place of
refuge and interaction for the community.
Mayor Trent Sullivan:
I am certain our new Boronggook Drysdale Library will bring people together
for lifelong learning for years and years to come. It’s an inspiring building
with a unique design.
Continuous learning is so important as it helps to innovate new
ideas. Spaces like this help our community to thrive because they foster a
culture of learning.
Geelong Regional Library Corporation Chair, Councillor Ron Nelson:
Since the library’s soft opening in April, there has been an explosion in
membership growth and a very large number of items borrowed. Around 12,400
items have already been borrowed and almost 10,000 people have come through the
doors.
Alison Marchant MP, Member for Bellarine:
Libraries
are a welcoming space for all and I’m so proud we could help deliver the
Boronggook Drysdale Library for the community.
The
Living Libraries Infrastructure Program enables councils and regional library
corporations to deliver new and renewed library infrastructure - strengthening
communities and bringing people together.
Geelong Regional Library Corporation CEO Vanessa Schernickau:
We’ve had thousands of people through the doors in the first weeks. Public
libraries are so much more than books – libraries are a safe, warm place that
welcome everyone, libraries can serve as a space to work from home or start a
new business, or for children to gather to learn a love of literacy and
stories.
Our friendly staff provide assistance with digital literacy, finding your next
great read, or connecting community members to the vast, free resources we
offer – we can’t wait to see more people through the doors in coming months.