THIS past weekend marked more than the launch of another arts centre.
With the unveiling of the QUAMPI Arts & Culture Centre at Deanbilla Bay, the Quandamooka people and wider Redlands Coast community have set down a milestone that will echo for generations.
The timing could not have been more fitting.
As thousands flocked to Minjerribah for the Quandamooka Festival 2025, they were also welcomed into a new cultural heart – a place that will carry stories, preserve traditions, and inspire new creativity.
QUAMPI is not just a building; it is a beacon, rising from the shoreline to reconnect people with Country, community and culture.
Designed in collaboration with QYAC, COX Architects and QAGOMA, QUAMPI blends innovative design with ancient tradition.
Its foundations are steeped in the stories of the Nughi, Nunukul and Goenpul clans, and its purpose reaches far beyond bricks and mortar.
This is the first First Nations-owned and operated cultural centre on the island – a proud, enduring statement of sovereignty and self-determination.
For the Quandamooka Festival, QUAMPI provided a focal point for two extraordinary days of music, art, dance and storytelling.
Performances by acclaimed First Nations artists drew Brisbane day-trippers and interstate visitors, while weaving workshops, markets and corroboree offered immersive experiences that resonated deeply with locals and visitors alike.
But the legacy of this weekend stretches well beyond the festival.
QUAMPI will be a year-round destination – a magnet for cultural tourism and a vital economic boost for North Stradbroke Island.
The inaugural exhibition, ngaliya ngajagu wagari (ours to carry), symbolises the responsibility we all share in carrying forward culture, history and knowledge.
Free entry until 2026 ensures that these treasures are accessible to all.
In a time when many communities are searching for renewal and identity, QUAMPI shows what can be achieved when vision, creativity and cultural leadership come together.
It is a landmark that will place Minjerribah firmly on the cultural map, while staying true to the island’s soul.
It is an invitation – to learn, to connect, and to celebrate the living culture of the Quandamooka people.
The spirit of Minjerribah has always been strong.
With QUAMPI, that spirit has finally found a home.
