(COUNTRY) Whadjuk and Binjareb Noongar peoples
“Boola” is the Whadjuk Noongar word for “plenty/lots/many,” while “katitjin” (sometimes transcribed “kaadatjin” or “kaatajin”) means “learn/think/teach/listen.”1 This naming protocol supports the slow maturation of middle Australia’s awareness of its precolonial past, joining WA Museum Boola Bardip/Many Stories (Hassell and OMA), Walyalup Civic Centre (Kerry Hill Architects) and other recent major projects in Perth. The move to codesigned, Indigenous-led projects that emphasize empowerment and Country is evolving across the landmass: fully established in some situations, emergent in others.
In keeping with the theme of this issue, the following review takes a big-picture approach to Boola Katitjin and considers its place within the extant masterplan of Murdoch University. Boola Katitjin is lead architect Lyons’ fourth major commission completed in Perth, following Northbridge Central TAFE (2010), Yagan Square (2018, with Iredale Pedersen Hook and Aspect Studios) and Curtin University’s Midland Campus
