Ex-Sydneysider STUART PEARSON looks at Bathurst and its future from the perspective of a new resident.
BATHURST Regional Art Gallery needs a new home - a location the city can really BRAG about!
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The official Cultural Vision of Bathurst Regional Council states, "that by 2036 the Vision's strategies will have delivered to the people of the Bathurst region a range of world class 'next' practice cultural facilities including an ... Art Gallery and a revitalised Town Square Precinct ... that will establish Bathurst as the premier centre of culture and creativity." (Art Gallery in bold for emphasis.)
It may come as a surprise to many, but the dream of new facilities - especially a new and better art gallery - is only 16 years away. The time to plan for that future is now.
Analysing overseas trends, it is apparent that art galleries are transforming into art centres, where art is presented to the public along with areas for dance, theatre, storytelling and music.
The current location of the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) in Keppel Street is unsuitable. The physical location is simply too small for BRAG to grow into the premier inland regional art centre. BRAG therefore needs to have larger premises on a location that will become a prominent feature at the entrance of the Bathurst CBD.
The old ambulance station and the entire strip that it sits on (bounded on three sides by William, Durham and Bentinck streets) is a perfect location.
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The ambulance station - a heritage treasure - should be retained and repurposed as a regional museum.
A new building could be constructed beyond and linked to the old ambulance station to run along the boundary with Armada Shopping Centre.
This will become the new home of the Bathurst Regional Art Centre. The new building should not be any deeper than the old ambulance station, leaving the frontage along Durham Street resplendent in attractive parkland.
With more space in the new art centre, more local artwork can be exhibited, such as the extensive collection of artworks from the Hill End residency program.
With more space, there will also be room to conduct workshops and talks, and still have enough room for the occasional blockbuster exhibition.
READ ALSO: Site for new ambulance station confirmed
Finally, when Bathurst Regional Art Centre (BRAC) moves into its new space at the entrance to the CBD, Bathurst Library could easily expand into the vacant space left behind in Keppel Street.
Bathurst is currently associated overwhelmingly with Mount Panorama and motor racing.
With the building of a regional art centre and museum alongside the entrance to Bathurst, visitors and locals alike will see that there is more to this city than Mount Panorama.
People will see that Bathurst has, in fact, evolved into a major inland centre of culture, creativity and heritage.
After all, more than three million vehicles pass by this site on Durham Street every year.
Wouldn't it be great for the prosperity of this city if more drivers stopped to spend a few hours and few dollars taking in Bathurst's culture?
This is a bold vision of a cultural future for Bathurst and a new, larger and better art centre is only one part of the big picture of transforming Bathurst into the premier cultural centre of inland Australia.
There will be more components needed, including an expanded library, a performing arts centre, a rejuvenated town square and a Wiradyuri Cultural Centre.
It will require fortitude, persistence and a great deal of money from local, state and Commonwealth sources to achieve this marvellous goal.
But it will be worth it as cultural tourism brings in twice as much money per person than sports tourism.
This is the type of project that needs Bathurst Regional Council to show leadership and vision.
