A new $9.15 million public library featuring an innovative circular design, planted roofscape and an amphitheatre, is officially opened.
The Boronggook Drysdale Library (2- 8 Wyndham Street) was opened with a Wadawurrung Traditional Owner Welcome to Country, Smoking and Didgeridoo Ceremony on Friday 5 May 2023, by Mayor Trent Sullivan and Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant MP.
The Council contributed $8.156 million and the Victorian Government $1 million.
Boronggook (pronounced Bo-rong-gook) is the traditional Wadawurrung name for the area, which was a place of gathering and connection and means 'turf'.
The building, designed by Melbourne firm Antarctica in collaboration with Architecture Associates, evolved out of careful consideration of the greater context, including conversations with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, local residents and key community stakeholders.
The two-storey building references the rich Aboriginal and masonry history of Drysdale's town centre, while at the same time providing a contemporary reinterpretation.
Library features include:
- Communal multi-purpose spaces;
- Quiet study areas;
- Adult changing places facility;
- Internal courtyard garden;
- City of Greater Geelong customer service point;
- Resource-efficient systems;
- Print and multimedia collections for loan;
- Public Access Internet PCs;
- Free WIFI access for library members;
- Weekly sessions of Story Time, Toddler Time, and Baby Time; and
- Self-checkouts featuring multiple language settings other than English.
The innovative green roof is the first of its kind in our region, featuring 4,300 plants (including 18 different native species) that are already providing habitat for birds, bees and butterflies.
The City also commissioned artist Sanné Mestrom to create The Secret, a curved public artwork of a woman reclining in the grass that becomes both a place of refuge and interaction for the community.
Mayor Trent Sullivan:
I am certain our new Boronggook Drysdale Library will bring people together for lifelong learning for years and years to come. It's an inspiring building with a unique design.
Continuous learning is so important as it helps to innovate new ideas. Spaces like this help our community to thrive because they foster a culture of learning.
Geelong Regional Library Corporation Chair, Councillor Ron Nelson:
Since the library's soft opening in April, there has been an explosion in membership growth and a very large number of items borrowed. Around 12,400 items have already been borrowed and almost 10,000 people have come through the doors.
Alison Marchant MP, Member for Bellarine:
Libraries are a welcoming space for all and I'm so proud we could help deliver the Boronggook Drysdale Library for the community.
The Living Libraries Infrastructure Program enables councils and regional library corporations to deliver new and renewed library infrastructure - strengthening communities and bringing people together.
Geelong Regional Library Corporation CEO Vanessa Schernickau:
We've had thousands of people through the doors in the first weeks. Public libraries are so much more than books – libraries are a safe, warm place that welcome everyone, libraries can serve as a space to work from home or start a new business, or for children to gather to learn a love of literacy and stories.
Our friendly staff provide assistance with digital literacy, finding your next great read, or connecting community members to the vast, free resources we offer – we can't wait to see more people through the doors in coming months.
