The Bondi Story Room – the Waverley Council’s brand-new digital initiative at the beautifully restored Bondi Pavilion – is now open for public viewing.
Situated on the ground floor across from the Art Gallery, visitors can view and learn about Bondi’s local history, culture, famous (and not so famous) personalities and organizations. The digital display works just like a touchscreen but on a much larger scale – on an entire wall, in fact – and you can navigate with your hand to read the subjects of your interest.
I have been involved in the project since March 2021 as a volunteer researcher, covering almost 30 subjects including local politicians, sporting identities and organizations, major events and natural phenomena (among them the notorious ‘Backpackers’ Rip’, which I really enjoyed researching).
Another subject I worked on was Charles, (then) Prince of Wales’ first visit to Bondi Beach in 1966. Now, just a couple of weeks before the Bondi Story Room’s official opening Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and our editor had to hastily change the text from ‘Prince of Wales’ to ‘King Charles III’!
Our research work for the Bondi Story Room is ongoing, albeit at a more leisurely pace. Many of the stories are also being translated into Spanish, French and Mandarin for international visitors. For further information and upcoming events at ‘The Pav’, visit the following sites.
Bondi Story Room: https://www.bondipavilion.com.au/discover/our_story/bondi_story_room
Bondi Story Room (subjects): https://bondistoryroom.com.au/
Bondi Pavilion: https://www.bondipavilion.com.au/
Main image: Interactive digital display inside Bondi Story Room