About Us
Gladstone Multicultural Association Inc. is a not-for-profit community organisation incorporated in Queensland in 1999. The association was established to produce an annual multicultural festival in Gladstone that would allow local ethnic groups to showcase the food, dance and songs of their countries of origin. This festival is a flagship event for the association and is instrumental in creating community awareness of the value and richness that people from other countries can add to a community’s culture.
The association is a totally volunteer organisation relying on state and local government, as well as local business and industry, for financial support to put on this event.
In addition to the annual festival, the association conducts social events through the year to highlight the social customs of particular ethnic communities. Events such as a Honky Tonk Cocktail Party, a Latino night and a Fiji and Pacific Islanders night were held in 2009.
A social group, Women Connecting Women, was started to provide an opportunity for newly arrived migrant women to socialise with others and learn what the region had to offer. It was also an opportunity to gain information about Gladstone’s support services such as schools, stores and professional services, as well as recreational and cultural activities.
From mid-February 2010, the association employed a Bicultural Support Assistant (BSA) with funding from the Multicultural Development Association Inc in Brisbane, following the joint signing of a MOU. The role of the BSA is to train and coordinate a number of Bicultural Support Workers who will provide a link between ethnic mothers and childcare professionals to facilitate understanding between them.
The association now wishes to develop further as the principal service provider to the regional ethnic community. It has established an office at the Neighbour Centre, 103 Toolooa Street, Gladstone and is actively working with the Gladstone Regional Council and local and state community organisations to identify services to meet the needs of ethnic communities.
The association is applying for Approved Service Provider status with the Qld Department of Communities to assist it with obtaining funds to deliver services. The need for these specifically targeted services will become more apparent as Gladstone grows with the influx of workers to support the growth of major new industries, particularly the LNG industry.
A large number of these workers are expected to be brought from overseas due to the limited skill-sets available in the region. These workers and their partners will add to the already large number of new arrivals brought to Australia during the recent industry boom.