Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Overview

Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre

To fund its operations Brambuk operates a successful bush tucker café, gift and book shops, cultural and education program, tours and backpacker accommodation with en-suite facilities.

Prices for accommodation range from $22.00 per person per night for a dorm bed to $80.00 per night for a private room. Café meals are between $4 and $30 per meal. Tours range from $15 for 2hrs to $148 for a whole day tour.

Educational and cultural programs are also offered and the cultural centre and café is hired out for conferences and meetings.

• Their mission is: "The preservation, conservation and promotion of our cultural heritage."
• Their vision is: "The education, training and employment of our people through the operation of various business ventures at Brambuk."

Ownership, leadership and community development

The gift shop

Brambuk is 100% Aboriginal owned and operated. Brambuk currently offers on the job training and the potential for gaining certified qualifications through traineeships offered in tourism, culture, administration, agriculture, and museums.

They have a Board of Directors comprised of local Aboriginal community members. They are appointed on an annual basis. The five local communities have committed a great deal of time, energy and expertise to bring about the growing success of Brambuk over the past 20 years.

Brambuk Backpackers

Everyone in the local communities either works for, or is related to someone involved in Brambuk. Brambuk acts as the cultural custodians for all the registered sites in the area, along with the other important places, which ensures continual learning from our elders and the passing on of appropriate knowledge when needed.

Their training programs always reflect their cultural roots and the community's aspirations.

Challenges

Brambuk at Twilight

Bringing together five communities to run Brambuk presents challenges for the organisation. Open communication with all of the stakeholders and community helps Brambuk to overcome this.

Maintaining a sustainable cash flow can sometimes be challenging and they have recognised the need to focus on budgeting and planning to keep afloat.

Another key challenge has been overcoming the preconceived ideas of aboriginality held by tourists and the tourism industry. This is an ongoing process which Brambuk continually addresses through clear communications with visitors and industry.

Advice

Brambuk offers the following advice to other aspiring tourism operators:

Be committed, have a vision, and be focussed on equity, fairness, respect... and cash flow!

Snap shot

Images courtesy of Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre