The Shire of Northam has unanimously voted in-favour of the suggested Nyoongar name for the new Aboriginal and Environmental Interpretive Centre (AEIC).
‘Bilya Koort Boodja’ in the Nyoongar language translates to River Heart Lands in English.
The name was proposed by the Aboriginal Advisory Council (AAC) at a meeting held on December 14 before being presented to the Northam council for voting on December 20.
The Northam Council voted in favour of the official name Bilya Koort Boodja Centre, 10 votes to none followed by the English tagline ‘Centre for Nyoongar Culture and Environmental Knowledge’.
The centre which is currently under construction along the Avon River will include workshop space, space suitable for exhibitions, retail space and offices.
The AAC wanted a Nyoongar name for the centre that reflected both the Aboriginal culture and environmental elements.
The council also voted unanimously in favour of installing a solar power system for the AEIC with the system estimated to be be returning a payback within three years of it being installed.
