Brewarrina is putting their rich history at the forefront in their new Outback Technology Hub and Museum. 

 The new museum displays will focus on the archaeological wonder found at Cuddie Springs, outside of Brewarrina, where the findings of prehistoric Australian megafauna dates back to 1876 when early European settlers were sinking a well for water. 

Not only has the site drawn the attention of geologists over time, it was in 2009 that Dr Judith Field made a crucial discovery at Cuddie Springs that seemed to confirm what geologists had suspected - that humans had co-existed with megafauna. 

Brewarrina Shire Council's General Manager Jeff Sowiak said that being the home to this site is a huge drawcard for local tourism. 

“This was the first evidence that men and the Diprotodon were actually there at the same time because the animal was killed with a spear, which was found in the skull as part of the dig. That was really significant in terms of the interaction between those animals and people,” Mr Sowiak said. 

The site is the only one in Australia to demonstrate such clear evidence of their interaction. 

New technology will be incorporated at Brewarrina's new Hub that will allow for cultural tours to be conducted electronically, using a holographic figure as the expert tour guide. 

“That was one of the concepts that we wanted in this project that would give the visitor an experience of what it was like, and the history and culture of our area," Mr Sowiak said. "People seem to expect that kind of technology when they go to museums now, so that’s what we’re happy to do here.”

The new displays and tours are just a piece of the new project happening in Brewarrina, with Wi-Fi also being installed around town for visitors and locals to access. 

New high speed internet infrastructure is being installed in Brewarrina’s main street and recreation areas, including the Aboriginal fish traps, local swimming pool, the gym and the caravan park. 

“We want to improve the connectivity in terms of people who are travelling and for tourists around town, which is mainly where this new equipment will be located," Mr Sowiak said. 

The Wi-Fi is also available for the public to access, although Mr Sowiak said that the project won’t necessarily address underlying issues of connectivity within the township and in rural areas in general. 

“That’s a persistent issue in the community in terms of getting reliable access to high-speed internet services, it’s certainly been a problem,” he said. 

The project has been in the works for the last twelve months, though Covid-19 has put a significant pause on its progress. Back in action, installation of the new infrastructure throughout the town has now started, with hopes that the internet services will be up and running from next week. 

The opening of the museum display is expected early 2022.