The first stage of the Bendigo Islamic Community Centre is taking shape, with the walls of the structure now up. The first sod was turned at the Bendigo East site a little under a year ago, and last month the first concrete slab was poured. This week, the walls of the first building were erected.
Casey Binns, general manager of construction company Searle Bros, said the next phase of construction involved installing the structural steel and putting on the roof. Mr Binns said the company was also now working with the Bendigo Islamic Community Centre to finalise the building’s fit-out requirements.
The main structure of the community centre building was due for completion by mid-August, he said, and the fit-out would likely take just a couple of months. The building currently taking place on site is the construction of the complex’s community centre and car park.
The community centre will be a multi-purpose space for a range of activities, including meetings, educational events and other community gatherings. The complex, once finished, will also include a prayer hall, sports hall, cafe, library, classrooms, a caretaker’s residence, and funeral facilities.
Dr Neelam said having such a space would create a sense of belonging for the area’s Muslim residents. “Feeling like you’re a part of the community, because you’ve got your own space,” she said.
It was also a vehicle for integration, she said, because Muslims would have a space into which they welcome other members of the community, and a space for interfaith dialogue. While the Bendigo Islamic Community Centre will hold the city’s first mosque, it will also be a community space open to all residents.
Muslims have called Bendigo home since the days of the gold rush and have come together to pray for more than two decades. While La Trobe University has provided rooms for prayer, space and access is limited.
