Performing an Aboriginal smoking ceremony at the opening of the Southern Gateway Centre was as much a tribute to Aaron Broad-Henry's own family as it was to the Illawarra's indigenous heritage.The Albion Park man's great uncle Dickie Henry undertook some of the earliest surveying of the Bulli Tops land on which the centre was built. His elders were also crucial figures in the South Coast Aboriginal Advancement League, which worked with the union movement to put Aboriginal issues on the agenda.
Tourism chiefs impressed with Southern Gateway Centre"If Dickie Henry was here today, he would be so happy to be here and see this place," he said.The smoking ceremony signalled the start of yesterday's official opening of the tourist information centre, four weeks after it threw its doors open to visitors.Cunningham MP Sharon Bird and Wollongong City Council general manager David Farmer officially opened the centre. Even native wildlife from Symbio Wildlife Gardens was on hand, including koalas Lara and Samir, eastern grey kangaroo Kyemma and olive python Oli. The $11 million centre - which was first proposed in the late 1990s after the council received a $60,000 government grant - includes a Tourism Wollongong information centre and the Jumbulla Aboriginal Discovery Centre.It also includes an Indian and seafood restaurant, Altitude 1148, and a kiosk. Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation Business Development Board chairman Col Markham has been helping develop the concept of an Aboriginal tourist attraction for 11 years. "The dream for Jumbulla came from the elders, and in particular Aunty Mary Davis, and was about the Aboriginal people wanting to welcome people at the front door," he said."Walking in our footprints is the theme. "It is an opportunity to become involved, talk to Aboriginal people and listen to their stories about the past and present."Mr Farmer said it was a "long-held vision". "It is one of only six gateway visitor centres in NSW and reflects what a very special place the Illawarra is," he added.
