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Building on two successful years of reflection, the University of Newcastle is proud to welcome the wider community once again to Ngarrama.

The free public event, in partnership with Awabakal Ltd, the City of Newcastle and NGM Group (Newcastle Greater Mutual Group), will return to King Edward Park on 25 January.

2024 will mark the strongest support since Ngarrama’s inception by welcoming a third event partner – NGM Group - following a year that shows sharing, openness and community dialogue is essential.

Ngarrama is an invitation for all to bring along your friends, family and a picnic blanket to engage in meaningful reconciliation through truth-telling, performances, song, and historical acceptance.

Wiradjuri man and University of Newcastle Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Strategy and Leadership Mr Nathan Towney said the event continues to grow.

“More than 4,000 people came down to Mooloobinba (Newcastle) last year and I’m proud to see this incredibly special night go from strength to strength,” Mr Towney said.

“This is an open invitation to connect to country and share in cultural knowledge, and I hope many more people can benefit from the safe space created by the University of Newcastle and our three deadly event partners.”

The word Ngarrama translates to ‘to sit, listen, and know,’ which embodies the night of reflection and celebration.

Held each year on 25 January, Ngarrama aims to consider traditional life before 1788 and was inspired by Sydney’s Vigil at Barangaroo.

The program includes a welcome to country, traditional dance, music, storytelling, and knowledge sharing.

It will feature performances from Ngiyampaa, Yuin and Gumbangirr renowned violinist, Eric Avery, as well as Torres Strait Islander dance group, Mui Mui Bumer Gedlam - winner of NITV’s DanceRites 2023 competition. Local theatre and puppetry company, Curious Legends, will bring First Nations stories to life before Wakagetti dance group finish the night on a high.

Ngarrama celebrates the rich culture of all First Nations people, in particular the Awabakal and Worimi people, the traditional owners of the land upon which Newcastle now stands.

Awabakal Ltd CEO, Jason Smith, said he is proud to be part of Ngarrama for another year.

“Seeing people from all walks of life, young and old, come together to learn about our shared history is what makes this event so great,” Mr Smith said.

Representing event partner the City of Newcastle, Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Council is a proud sponsor of this important event, which has become an annual highlight of Newcastle’s progressive and inclusive community.

“City of Newcastle has long been at the forefront of supporting reconciliation and truth-telling, standing shoulder to shoulder with our Aboriginal community to enact positive change together,” Lord Mayor Nelmes said.

“Newcastle was the first city to fly the Aboriginal Flag over a civic building, we were the first local government authority in the region to support constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and this year our Guraki Aboriginal Advisory Committee, formed on 1 June 1999, will celebrate 25 years as the city’s Aboriginal voice to Council.”

NGM Group Chief Customer and Digital Innovation Officer and Reconciliation Action Plan sponsor, James Cudmore, said that becoming an event partner is a proud moment for the organisation.

“At NGM Group we know we have an important role to play in furthering reconciliation, and we feel honoured to support Ngarrama and promote reconciliation in an authentic and collaborative way,” Mr Cudmore said.

Ngarrama will continue to platform First Nations voices and be an opportunity for togetherness, according to the University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor and Reconciliation Champion, Professor Alex Zelinsky AO.

“The University of Newcastle has shown its continued commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence, advancement and collaboration, and Ngarrama 2024 will be yet another example of how everyone can be involved,” Professor Zelinsky said.

Last year, the University of Newcastle celebrated 40 years of the Wollotuka Institute and was recognised as a national leader in gender equity and Indigenous participation.

“I hope the entire community can join us at Ngarrama to learn and celebrate more than 60,000 years of history and culture,” Professor Zelinsky said.

Register your attendance here.

Contact

• Shahni Wellington
• Phone: 02 4921 7047
• Email: Shahni.Wellington@newcastle.edu.au

Work to deliver the University of Newcastle’s new, high-tech Central Coast Campus in Gosford is another step closer, with the appointment of the main works contractor Hansen Yuncken.

University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky AO said the tender process was highly competitive and the University was pleased to be working with a company that aligned with its strategic values and boasts a track record in delivering contemporary and dynamic higher-education facilities.  

“We have a firm vision for our campuses, to meet the needs of our students, staff and community for the future, and providing a space that is vibrant, safe, and accessible to engage and collaborate,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“Our new Central Coast campus will be a state-of-the-art education and training facility that will help close skills gaps, increase educational participation rates, and generate new jobs for people living on the Central Coast.

"We are eager to have activity ramp up in this space, with construction in Mann Street scheduled toward the end of 2023.”

Professor Zelinsky said the project team would now finalise pre-construction planning, to support the project’s construction and ensure the new campus met the needs of students and the community.

“The landscape has changed since we began planning our new campus and we are committed to delivering the campus our community needs and wants, in line with final designs. We’re incredibly pleased to be on track to welcome our first students in 2025.

“The new campus in Gosford CBD will allow us to introduce new offerings and align our programs to industry and community needs, giving students more opportunities to complete their university studies on a local campus without leaving the region.

“We are proud to have been on the Central Coast for more than 30 years at our Ourimbah Campus, educating more than 40,000 students during that time. We are committed to the Central Coast, and this new campus will be pivotal in transforming Gosford into a thriving city and create more opportunities for our young people to aspire to and achieve.”

Federal Member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid MP, said this is a major milestone for the new Central Coast Campus and it will play an important role in the region's growth.

“The Australian Government is committed to improving access to tertiary education for people living on the Central Coast”, Dr Reid said.

“Our investment of $18 million towards the new University of Newcastle’s Central Coast Campus will ensure future generations can learn and study closer to home.

“The Central Coast Campus will be state of the art, offer new study opportunities, and help address the skills shortage.

“I welcome the news of the appointment of Hansen Yuncken as the main works contractor and look forward to construction commencing later this year.”

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP welcomes the exciting news that the Mann Street Campus is one step closer to construction, recognising the important role this Campus will play in the future of the Gosford town centre.

“With the opening of the Mann Street Campus, Gosford is set to become a hub of innovation and world-class education, improving access to tertiary education across the Central Coast.

“This campus provides investment right in the heart of Gosford, creating fantastic local education opportunities for Central Coast students.

“The award of the construction contract to Hansen Yuncken is the final step, with construction scheduled to commence by the end of the year. I am eagerly anticipating these exciting works to commence.”

The new $63.8 million, three-storey campus is close to Gosford Railway Station and bus terminal. It will include a small retail area, café, and accessible open space for students and the wider community.

The Central Coast Campus will be built on the former Mitre 10 building site at 305 Mann Street on land provided by NSW Government’s Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation. Funding support includes University of Newcastle ($27.8 million) and the Australian Government and NSW Governments, ($18 million each).

The University of Newcastle has ranked equal 173^rd in the world in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, jumping 19 places.

The rankings rate universities across measures including the quantity and impact of research, global engagement and employment outcomes of graduates.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alex Zelinsky AO, said the continued success in rankings confirmed the University’s position as a world-leading institution.

“Over the past 10 years we have improved 125 positions in our world ranking, which is a tremendous achievement considering the competitiveness and calibre of the universities included in the rankings,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“We are absolutely committed to being a university of and for our regions and these results show that we stand out amongst some of the foremost universities in the world.

“We are proud to be undertaking innovative research on a global scale and providing an excellent education experience that gives our students the best possible start to their careers.

“People in the Hunter and on the Central Coast can know they have one of the best universities in the world right on their doorstep.”

The 2024 rankings included a new measure of sustainability, with the university ranking equal 70^th in the world.

“We are committed to being carbon neutral by 2025. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do, and I see creating a sustainable future as critical to our organisation and our region,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“Our research to improve sustainability is world leading and includes projects like Professor Behdad Moghtaderi’s Renewable Energy Systems program that aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, minimise greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable energy.”

You can read more about the University’s rankings here: https://www.newcastle.edu.au/our-uni/rankings