Quandamooka Arts and Cultural Centre Opens in North Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island has marked a historic moment with the opening of the Quandamooka Arts and Culture Centre, a purpose-built space designed to preserve and share the island’s living traditions through art, performance and community storytelling.
A long time coming
The project, formally known as the Quandamooka Art, Museum and Performance Institute (QUAMPI), began its journey in 2017 through extensive consultation with the Quandamooka people. Funding was secured in 2019, with the centre co-designed by Cox Architecture and the Quandamooka people.
The Fulcrum Agency supported project inception and community engagement, while the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) is the client. The centre was officially launched alongside the 2025 Quandamooka Festival, which featured dance, weaving workshops, storytelling and music.
Design rooted in Country
QUAMPI’s architecture reflects the close connection between the Quandamooka people and the land and sea of Minjerribah. Builders used local timbers and rammed earth made from recycled sand taken from the island’s mining operations.
Shell fragments embedded in the walls serve as a reminder of the region’s oyster heritage. Two wings of the building frame a performance lawn that looks out to Deanbilla Bay, while landscaped berms help shield the interior from the street.
Inside, visitors find exhibition spaces, a yarning circle, a café and gallery shop, and an Elders’ space designed with woven timber screens that allow natural light to filter through. This setting balances the needs of a public gallery with community use, placing culture at the centre of the visitor experience.
Community at the heart
The inaugural exhibition, Ngaliya Ngajagu Wagari (Ours to Carry), features more than 40 artworks by Quandamooka artists including Megan Cope, Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, Kyra Mancktelow and Joshua Walker. Many of the works were loaned from the Redland Art Gallery’s Collection and the QYAC cultural heritage collection, with some pieces never shown publicly before.
Alongside paintings, the exhibition includes textiles, ceramics and glass works that reflect contemporary expressions of Quandamooka identity.
Beyond the exhibitions, QUAMPI provides dedicated space for Elders to share stories with younger generations and visitors alike, ensuring that cultural knowledge remains active and accessible.
The combination of gallery, workshop space and performance venue highlights a model of cultural centres that privilege lived experience and community participation over static displays.
Strengthening North Stradbroke Island Tourism
With an investment reported at $17 million at opening, the centre is expected to strengthen cultural tourism on North Stradbroke Island and contribute to the local economy while reinforcing the role of First Nations voices in cultural interpretation. Queensland has supported the project as part of broader efforts to recognise the state’s Indigenous heritage, though the centre itself is run and directed by the Quandamooka people.
