Larrakia Cultural Centre, now open on Darwin's waterfront, brings a Larrakia-led landmark to Stokes Hill Wharf

Batjji Ganyam — it is good to see you. Darwin's waterfront has a new landmark: the Larrakia Cultural Centre at Stokes Hill Wharf was officially opened on 9 October 2026 by the Australian Government and the Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC).

Funded through a $58.6 million investment from the Aboriginals Benefit Account, the centre sits on Larrakia Country beside the Stokes Hill sacred site, looking out over Darwin Harbour. It opened its doors to the public in September and is owned and governed by Larrakia people, with the centre itself operated by Larrakia Cultural Centre Limited.

LDC chairperson Mark Motlop said the centre "is something our community can be incredibly proud of and will stand as a lasting home for Larrakia culture on our Country". For the Larrakia, the saltwater people of the Darwin region, it is the result of more than 20 years of planning and advocacy.

Project at a glance

A bird in flight over the harbour

The building's most recognisable feature is its roof, which resembles a bird in flight. In the centre's own words, the building design "evokes a bird in flight, a Larrakia ancestral being, protecting the land and the people".

The centre's logo, painted by Mr Joe Raymond, is a representation of the building form and of one of the ancestral beings related to the sacred site at Stokes Hill. The landscaping around the building reflects the land and water of Larrakia Country, drawing on its monsoon, savanna and coastal landscapes.

Designed with Larrakia guidance

Darwin-based Rossi Architects led the design in collaboration with Susan Dugdale & Associates of Alice Springs. The team was chosen in 2021 from more than 15 expressions of interest and five invited tender teams, with the detailed design stage funded through the Darwin City Deal.

Cultural design guidance came from the Larrakia Cultural Centre Working Group, which has been involved since 2017. Larrakia people helped shape both the vision and the physical design of the building, and the centre's Larrakia Conversations talk series included a session with Rossi Kourounis of Rossi Architects on designing the Centre.

Built by a Territory team

Locally owned and operated Sunbuild was awarded the construction tender, and work began with the Birditj Gwiyarlwa ground-turning ceremony on 10 May 2024. The bird-shaped roof was completed in September 2025.

The project set a target of 30 per cent Indigenous employment across the construction workforce and 15 per cent Indigenous subcontracting. Before Sunbuild started, Darwin company NTEX delivered the early works demolition package in 2023, working with Aboriginal training organisation Grassroots Youth Engagement and Larrakia consultant Tony Lee, and reached 53 per cent Aboriginal employment against a 30 per cent target. Its Aboriginal trainees were offered permanent placements with NTEX.

What's inside

The centre includes exhibition and gallery spaces, art studios, a retail shop, a café, a restaurant, meeting rooms and a 450-person amphitheatre. It will also house repatriated cultural items, cared for in accordance with Larrakia cultural protocols.

Visitors can book general admission or a public or private guided tour, try their hand at Larrakia arts and crafts such as spear making, weaving or painting, and learn Larrakia language. Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the government was "proud to support this Larrakia-led initiative".

A busy first season

The programme has been busy from the start. The Larrakia Makes school holiday workshops ran from 19 September to 24 October, and a "Creating the Exhibition" talk was programmed for Saturday 31 October with Susan Freeman, Director of Freeman Ryan Design, and Larrakia artist and Elder Lorraine Williams on how the exhibition was developed in close consultation with Larrakia community contributors.

Larrakia Cultural Centre Limited chairperson Helen Garnett said the aim is to make the centre "an enduring success… one where Larrakia language and culture thrive".

For Darwin's construction and design community, the centre is a showcase of what a First Nations-led brief, a local design team and a Territory builder can deliver together on one of the city's most prominent sites.

Published 5 November 2026 · Updated 27 October 2026