Liam McNally
A social enterprise cafe that will provide opportunities for employment, on-the-job training, and education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has begun construction in Mt Atkinson.
The Killara Foundation, Stockland, and Edmund Rice Services Mt Atkinson have teamed up to create Killara cafe, a community cafe that will offer a relaxed dining experience.
Centering the cafe will be a round table created from reclaimed redwood timber, representing a Yarning circle, and is based on First Nations principles of coming together.
Olympian and Killara Foundation CEO, Kyle Vander Kuyp, said the Killara Foundation is looking forward to the opening of the café and is proud of the partnership with Stockland and Edmund Rice Services.
“This partnership will support local community with opportunities to train and grow,” he said.
“The café will be a platform to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, our culture and also provide an opportunity for the stories of Traditional Owners from the area to be told.”
The café will be located behind the new playground at Stockland Mt. Atkinson Sales and Information Centre in Truganina, on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country.
Construction is expected to be complete in December 2022, and plans for a community celebration event are currently underway.
Stockland Project Director, Ed Krushka said it’s great to have started construction of the Killara Café at Mt. Atkinson which will provide the community “a dedicated space for cultural and educational enrichment.”
“We want the café to support and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and provide them with various opportunities for employment, education, and talent development, including building hospitality and business management skills.”
