For weeks, we had been preparing.
There were plans to finalise, food to organise, staff to roster, activities to coordinate and what felt like hundreds of little jobs that needed to come together before we could officially open the doors to our Community & Youth Hub at 141 Fitzroy Street, Dubbo.
By Thursday, we thought we were getting close.
Then Friday morning arrived — and somehow, there was still so much to do.
But everyone chipped in. Staff headed out in the morning to buy bread and other last-minute supplies. Sheena arrived with a whole range of fresh fruit for everyone to enjoy. Meat and sausages were brought in ready for cooking, food was marinated, ice was bought, cordial and drinks were prepared and the tea station was set up.
Tables were moved, activity areas were organised and people moved from one job to another until, little by little, everything started coming together.
By around 2pm, our rostered staff began arriving, proudly dressed in their Oyster Tribe uniforms, ready for what was going to be a very special evening.
Opening the doorS
As the afternoon moved into evening, community began arriving. There was a real sense of excitement around the Hub.
This was a moment we had been working towards for a long time — officially opening a space created for our young people, Elders, families and wider community.
One of our Elders formally opened the Hub, and we were also pleased to welcome Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Josh Black, who joined us and spoke as part of the opening. Councillor Black was re-elected Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council on 22 September 2026.
The speeches marked an important milestone. But once the formalities were complete, the Hub began to show what it was really created for.
A powerful dance in the circle
Our young people prepared for the cultural dance, applying ochre before gathering together in the dance circle. Led by Adam Wiseman and his group, they delivered a powerful performance in front of Elders, families, visitors and community.
It was one of those moments where everything seemed to stop for a little while. Young people were dancing. Elders were watching. Families were gathered around the circle.
Culture was being shared between generations. And the space we had spent so long preparing was finally doing exactly what we hoped it would do — bringing people together through culture and community.
For Oyster Tribe, culture isn’t something sitting quietly in the background. It is at the heart of what we do.
A special artwork finally revealed
Opening night also gave us the chance to reveal something our young people had been quietly working on in the lead-up to the event.
Local artist Hayden Wood had previously been running art workshops with the young people, giving them the opportunity to learn, create and contribute their own ideas through art. Together, Hayden and the children worked on a special painting connected to the story of Oyster Tribe and the Youth Hub.
On Friday night, the finished artwork was finally revealed. And it came together beautifully. What made the painting even more meaningful was knowing that so many of our young people had played a part in creating it. It wasn’t simply artwork made for the Hub. It was something they had helped create themselves. That makes it part of their story too.
Then came the food
After the opening, dancing and artwork reveal, everyone was more than ready to eat. Youth Off The Streets had volunteered to help cook for the evening, with Oyster Tribe providing the food and supplies. The barbecue was going with sausages and meat prepared for the crowd, alongside the bread, fresh fruit, drinks and other food organised throughout the day.
And then there was Aunty Janice from our Granny’s Group, who had prepared a beautiful home-cooked curry and baked potatoes for everyone. The smell alone had people ready for dinner! Kids, Elders, families, staff, volunteers and visitors all sat down to enjoy a hearty meal. There is something special about sharing food at a community gathering.
People slow down. They sit together. They talk. And conversations begin naturally. That was exactly what we could see happening throughout the Hub.
Painting, basketball and kids being kids
Once everyone had eaten, the young people were straight back into the activities. Outside, the basketball hoops quickly became popular, with kids lining up to take shots, challenging each other and simply enjoying themselves.
A painting area had also been set up for the younger children, giving them their own space to sit down, get creative and become completely absorbed in what they were making. Other kids were playing inside the Hub or spending time together around the grounds. One thing really stood out to us during the night.
The young people were engaged. They were dancing. Painting. Playing basketball. Talking. Laughing. Running around with friends.
Interacting with staff, Elders and each other. And there were very few phones in sight. That might sound like a small thing, but to us it said something important.
When young people have somewhere they genuinely want to be — somewhere safe, welcoming and filled with things to do and people to connect with — they engage.
They don’t need to be told to connect. It happens naturally. And that is exactly the kind of environment we want the Youth Hub to continue creating.
A warm corner and a good yarn
While the kids were busy, our Elders found themselves a warm corner inside the hall and settled in for a yarn. Around them, people were catching up, meeting new faces and enjoying the evening. It was wonderful seeing different generations using the same space in their own way.
Children painting. Young people playing. Adults catching up. Elders yarning. That multigenerational feeling is something we want to continue building at the Hub. Throughout the evening, Adarsh and Shaveen were also busy speaking with people, recording interviews and listening to their stories and feedback. And hearing what people had to say reinforced something important for us.
This was never meant to be just another building.
A safe place to come and have a yarn
The Friday night Youth Hub is an important part of what happens here. But our vision goes beyond Friday nights. We want community to know that Oyster Tribe is a place they can reach out to when they need connection, support or simply someone to sit down with and have a yarn.
Sometimes there doesn’t need to be a program running. Sometimes someone just needs a familiar face. A cup of tea. A conversation. Somewhere they feel welcome. Somewhere they feel heard.
And somewhere they know they belong. That is what we want this Hub to become — a safe and welcoming place for our young people, Elders, families and community, not just during scheduled activities, but whenever people need that connection.
The clothing spree begins!
Later in the evening came another very popular part of the night — our free community clothing giveaway. We had boxes and boxes of clothing ready for community, with the boxes organised and labelled according to clothing sizes to make it easier for people to look through. And once people started going through them, there was plenty to discover!
People were opening boxes, helping each other find the right sizes and filling bags with clothes to take home. Some people walked away with bags full. There were some genuinely great finds in there too. And yes — even a few of us from Oyster Tribe couldn’t resist having a look ourselves!
It was fun, but it was also practical. Good-quality clothing was going directly to people in community who could use it. Sometimes community support can be as simple as having something useful available when people need it.
Even the police joined the fun
We were also joined during the evening by two officers from Dubbo Police, who had been rostered to attend the Hub.
It was great seeing them talking with young people and engaging with community in such a relaxed environment. And then somehow…
They ended up doing the Macarena! Yes — that happened. 
It was a great moment, but there was something meaningful behind it too. Seeing police officers laughing, dancing and interacting positively with young people creates a very different type of connection.
We are grateful for the support from Dubbo Police and for their commitment to continuing to have officers involved with our Friday night Hub activities.
Getting everyone home safely
Eventually, after the speeches, dancing, artwork, food, painting, basketball, clothing giveaway, laughter and plenty of yarning, the evening began to wind down. Families and community members gradually started heading home.
But our responsibility to the young people didn’t finish when the activities did. Our staff had been on duty throughout the night, keeping an eye on everyone and making sure the environment remained safe. As young people were ready to leave, the Oyster Tribe bus was available to transport them safely back to their homes.
One by one, everyone made their way out. By around 10pm, all of the young people requiring transport had been safely taken home. The basketballs were put away. The tables began to empty. The music stopped. The Hub became quiet again. And after weeks of preparation, a frantic final day and an enormous effort from staff, Elders, volunteers, partners and community, we could finally look around and say:
We did it.
This is only the beginning
Opening night showed us exactly what this place can become. A place where young people can be themselves. A place where culture can be shared. A place where young people can create something and see their own contribution displayed proudly. A place where Elders can sit down and yarn. A place where families can gather. A place for food, laughter, creativity, sport and connection.
And most importantly, a safe place our community knows is here for them. When we imagined the Community & Youth Hub, we didn’t simply imagine a building. We imagined nights like this.
But we also imagined all the ordinary moments that will happen in between — someone dropping in for a yarn, a young person needing somewhere safe to connect, an Elder sharing knowledge, a family reaching out or community simply coming together.
Opening night was one special evening. There are many more evenings, conversations, programs, stories and connections still to come.
The doors are open.
The Hub is alive.
And this is only the beginning. 
Community • Culture • Connection
Oyster Tribe
