The Department of Communities Kalgoorlie office is celebrating the recent unveiling of a cultural narrative that represents Kalgoorlie’s diverse cultural history.
Cultural narratives are unique to each workplace location and recognise the relationship between the rich indigenous history of the land and the building located on the site.
The cultural narrative was developed through consultation with local Aboriginal groups in the Goldfields.
Aboriginal Practice Leader, Wendy Dimer, says that Kalgoorlie is unique in its history as multiple Aboriginal groups have ties to the land.
“It is a melting pot of stories and traditions from different Aboriginal communities that are shared and passed on between generations. The cultural narrative pays homage to these groups who have made Kalgoorlie what it is today.
"Whereas most locations have one Aboriginal traditional owner group, there are three Aboriginal groups with ties to the land in Kalgoorlie, each practicing their own cultural traditions,” said Wendy.
Facilities Workplace Design Change Manager, Mitchell Penny, says that initially this was a challenge.
“It became clear very quickly that the only way to achieve a cultural narrative that would be embraced by the local community was to ensure that each group of traditional owners was consulted.”
The cultural narrative recognises the stories, language and art of the multiple Aboriginal groups and is represented throughout the design of the new space through Aboriginal language, artwork and motifs.
“It was important for Facilities and the Kalgoorlie team that the contributions of each group of traditional owners were showcased.”
Mitchell says that cultural competency is an important pillar of Communities' Workplace Strategy, which underpins how office accommodation is designed and how staff work and interact in the workplace.
“The Kalgoorlie office has been intentionally designed with both staff and client needs prioritised to align with the strategy.”
To align with the strategy, Facilities has installed a number of cultural narratives since 2020 across various Communities offices in WA, including in the Walyalup (Fremantle) and Boorloo (Perth) Campuses, Joondalup, Armadale and Mandjar (Midland).
Each of the installations feature a display in the client waiting area that details the story of the traditional owners and how it was interpreted in the design of the office.
“With Kalgoorlie, we had to be clear that there are many stories belonging to multiple groups and find a way to showcase these stories throughout the workplace in a way that was cohesive, authentic and respectful.”
Kalgoorlie is at the heart of the Goldfields and plays a prominent role in the region.
Many people from across the Goldfields travel to Kalgoorlie to connect with family for gatherings and cultural ceremonies, as well as to access vital services.
Facilities consulted with local Aboriginal groups in the Goldfields with the help of Kambarang Services, Wendy Dimer, in her former role as Aboriginal Regional Coordinator, and Mel Axell, Executive Assistant, Goldfields.
Wendy shares that Kambarang facilitated consultation with the Wongatha people , from the township of Kalgoorlie, while she and Mel undertook a roadshow to meet and consult with local elders from eight other locations across the Goldfields, from Esperance to Warburton.
Here they heard heartfelt stories from elders and engaged local artists to interpret their stories to artwork.
Wendy shares that the project was a huge team effort and she is grateful for the journey and the team that were involved.
“Mel recorded and documented all the stories. Amanda Poglits was the Goldfields Acting Regional Executive Director at the time and supported the direction of the project to include the entire Goldfields region.”
Facilities used an experienced linguist, Gail Yorkshire to provide some words from across all language groups, which were then incorporated in meeting room and client space names.
“We had QR codes installed to support cultural competency and enable both our staff and visitors to learn the correct pronunciation and translation of each of the names.
"We also worked with various vendors to install mural wallpaper to blank walls and glazing to further incorporate the artwork,” said Mitchell.
The stories were then printed on plaques and placed alongside the artwork installations to provide meaning and context to the stories and bring them to life.
"While we used elements of the artwork for our meeting room glazing and wallpaper, we returned the original pieces to the Kalgoorlie team for framing and hanging to support and maintain the original vision of the artist.
"The finished result at the Kalgoorlie office is a collection of distinct and beautiful artworks and stories from across nine different Aboriginal groups, showcased throughout the workplace design.”
"We are very proud of the collaboration with the Kalgoorlie team, and the fact that we've been able to represent all groups and tell the story of Kalgoorlie from many viewpoints," said Mitchell.
For Wendy, it was important that the office reflected the diversity of the languages and protocols of the different tribal groups within the region.
“It feels good to work in a space that reflects the stories of the entire region.”
The Kalgoorlie office relocated in February 2025 and re-opened its doors to the public.
The Department of Communities is always looking for dedicated individuals to join our team. To view our current career opportunities, visit Careers at Communities.
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