Chinatown Revitalisation Announces First Wave Of Grant Recipients

The Chinatown Revitalisation is pleased to announce the first four successful projects in its recent grant funding round for activation initiatives and laneway enhancements.

Adding up to a total of $35,080, the projects include:

1.     Shinju Pearl Harvest Party.  A new Shinju Matsuri festival event will come to Chinatown this year thanks to support from the Revitalisation.  The Pearl Harvest Party will be held on Dampier Terrace Sunday 3rd September from 4pm to celebrate the strong connection of the pearling industry with Chinatown.  The Party will feature many activities including live pearl harvesting, jewellery making, talks and demonstrations.  Through this event the Revitalisation hopes to inspire more such celebrations to be held in Chinatown led by community support.

2.     Nyamba Buru Yawuru Jetty to Jetty Activation events.  Trialled during the 2016 Shinju Matsuri Festival, the Revitalisation is pleased to support the return of the Walking Jetty to Jetty Stories of Broome which projects images of old Broome, music and audio from the Jetty to Jetty app at three sites around Chinatown – Streeter’s Jetty (Sun 3 Sept), Kennedy Hill (Tues 5 Sept), and the Goods Shed on Dampier Tce (Sat 9 Sept).   The Revitalisatoin looks forward to building on the success of last year’s event by making it more Chinatown focused, adding live tour guides by Cultural Elders and event performers.

3.     Betty’s Frock Shop Redevelopment.  With the support of the Revitalisation, the storefront of Betty’s Frock Shop will be transformed into a traditional Asiatic scene and renamed to ‘Betty Fong Sam’, a reference to Ms Fong’s great grandmother who as a Chinese migrant relocated to Broome in the 19th century.  Through this project the Revitalisation looks forward to enhancing the streetscape of Chinatown and celebrating the Asiatic history of Broome.

4.     Corrugated Lines: A festival of words.  Held in Broome August 11 to 13, the Revitalisation Project granted use of its HQ as the festival hub, showcasing author biographies and art installations.  To further connect the festival with Chinatown, the Revitalisation sponsored the Biggest Book Club morning tea events at Kimberley Bookshop on Napier Tce.

Acting Broome Shire President, Harold Tracey, said the Chinatown Revitalisation Project was pleased to be able to support the community through the Revitalisation Grants Scheme, and congratulated everyone who applied for taking initiative. 

“These projects are just the start of a whole myriad of events that will inject lifeinto our town centre with its rich history and opportunities,” Cr Tracey said.

“We look forward to announcing more grant recipients in the near future, and encourage everyone who has an idea to come forward and visit Jeremy Macmath, the Chinatown Investment and Development Coordinator, in the Chinatown HQ at the corner of Carnarvon and Short St.”

Announced in May, the Chinatown Revitalisation Grants Scheme will make available more than $400,000 in funding for initiatives that will boost the town centre through business and community-led projects. The first round of funding opened in April 2017 with $207,500 available for projects which aim to activate and enhance Chinatown’s public and private spaces.  A further $202,500 will be available in a second round to open in 2018, bringing the total grant funding pool to $410,000.

All community members who are permanent residents of Broome are invited to share their ideas with Mr Macmath to gauge their viability and to access funding information.