Casey mayor Colin Butler congratulates naming competition winner Susan Bergman outside the ‘Balla Balla Centre – Where the Community Unites’.CASEY’S new community centre in Cranbourne East has been officially named, thanks to the suggestion of a local resident.
The centre will be called ‘Balla Balla Centre – Where the Community Unites’.
Casey mayor Colin Butler congratulated Narre Warren resident and regular contributor to the arts Susan Bergman on her naming suggestion.
A local entertainer, Ms Bergman, otherwise known as ‘Lady Uppity Crust’, entered her suggestion ‘where the community unites’, which was anonymously judged from more than 80 received to form part of the facility’s new name.
The name Balla Balla Centre was inspired both by a number of indigenous suggestions and the Balla Balla Ward, in which the facility is located.
Cr Butler said the judging panel agreed the name should reflect Cranbourne’s history, signify a centre that welcomed everyone and be easily understood by all community groups, including culturally and linguistically diverse residents.
He said the history of the name had links to the indigenous community as part of its language.
“While there is no strict interpretation for the word Balla, taken in context it has two meanings,” he said.
Cr Butler said in one language Balla meant ‘resting’ or ‘resting/meeting place’ as in the name of the town Ballarat.
In the second indigenous language Balla meant ‘mud’, which was a significant description for the particular geographic area in which the facility was located.
As the edge of a swamp, the area was rich in resources and became a meeting and resting place for the indigenous people.
Located on the west side of the Cranbourne Library off Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Balla Balla Centre will be officially opened at 11am on Saturday, 28 April and be open for viewing until 2pm.
For further information on the centre, contact City of Casey’s community facilities development officer Jinny McGrath on 9705 5200.
