For many years, Oonah Aboriginal Health and Community Services has supported the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Melbourne’s Inner and Outer East. Serving as a hub for information, services and programs, Oonah plays a central role in building a strong and connected community.

After almost a decade of planning and consultation, Oonah has received unanimous Councillor approval for a new integrated healthcare and community centre at the Belonging Place in Healesville. The purpose-built centre will allow Oonah to expand its essential services in a space that reflects a deep connection to Country.

Designed by Workshop Architecture (lead architect) and Urban Initiatives (landscape design), the centre draws inspiration from rivers, mountains and the heavens. Natural materials and references to the platypus, wedge-tailed eagle, and bogong moth bring cultural significance to the design, creating a space that is welcoming, grounded and connected to the First Nations community.

The new proposed centre is designed to deliver lasting benefits to the community, including expanded services, more employment opportunities, and stronger links to the Queens Park precinct. Sustainability has been integral to the project, with water-sensitive design, energy efficient systems, solar power, sustainable transport options and recycling practices all incorporated.

Key elements of the project include:

• Participatory design via consultation with prominent First Nations Elders and community members.
• Continued use of the site for health and well-being services.
• Consolidation and replacement of Oonah Belonging Place buildings with a new purpose-built centre.
• Enhanced connection to Wirrup Yaluk (creek), providing ephemeral watercourses and planting, community gathering areas, play space, and productive vegetable gardens.
• Formalised car parking, including spaces for ambulances, tuckerbag deliveries and cyclists.

Extensive consultation shaped the project, including engagement with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC), Elders, and Yarra Ranges Council, which informed the architectural and landscape design as well as the Cultural Management Plan prepared by Biosis.

Hansen’s role was to support Oonah through the approvals process, by managing the permit application and providing guidance to the client team.

The approval of the new centre represents a significant milestone, facilitating a purpose-built facility that supports the continued delivery of essential health and community services while reflecting cultural values and connections to Country.