Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
Yarrila Arts & Museum (YAM)
BiographySamuel Matten purchased lots 16, 17, and 18 in 1906 for £15 after they were passed in at auction.
Some months ago, Gordon Street was ploughed up by the Shire workmen, and the residents crawled over the heaped-up earth, sprained their ankles, and used bad language. During the present week of fine weather, however, picks and shovels have been at work, and the formation of this horrible thoroughfare is being proceeded with ; so that the long-suffering denizens of " Frog Flat" can look forward to a less suicidal crossing in the near future.
Loxton & Loxton asked Council's approval of two sub-divisions-one for late Samuel Matten Estate in Gordon-street, Coffs Harbour, and the other for G. Kerslake, Woolgoolga. Approved.
SHIRE COUNCIL (1940, December 13). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 4.
YAM is at Yarrila Place.
Opened by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (the first Prime Minister to open a public library since the National Library was opened in 1968 by Sir John Gorton ?) on 16 September 2023, the Prime Minister later confirmed:
ROHAN CHABAUD, HOST: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, welcome to Triple M.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, good to be with you and it was great to be in Coffs on Saturday.
CHABAUD: You're a bit of a regular now, you're on Triple M this morning, you were here Saturday and we turned on the weather and everything.
PRIME MINISTER: It was a beautiful day and Coffs locals, and right from the whole of the mid north coast I think, were there in their many hundreds. I was stunned by how big the audience was but it was so positive. People going through and having a look at Yarrila Place, and for your listeners who weren't there on Saturday, take the chance to walk through this amazing building that brings together the arts, Council facilities, the library, meeting rooms. It's going to be a real hub for the community for many years to come and it's so welcoming as a structure as well, I was really struck by it and I was incredibly impressed. I remember talking to Denise Knight, who was the Mayor many years ago, about the concept when I was Shadow Minister of Local Government, but they've done a fantastic job and the community really was up for it and it was such a positive event.
CHABAUD: There's no doubt and we know that Denise really put in a lot of work in the background to get you here and to have the centre open for us, and you're right, it looks a million dollars. I was watching one of the news reports and they had your mic set up in front of the coffee machine, which I thought was a really nice little hook because the cafe there looks pretty good. Did you have a soy latte or something while you were there?
PRIME MINISTER: The cafe is a work of art itself. I had a little piccolo there to give me a bit of a boost before the event happened but it's been designed, like a lot of Japanese artists, essentially it looks kind of like a cartoon, is the best way to describe it. It's black on white and it's a work of art itself, including the chairs and everything. It just adds to the whole feel of the facility and I just think it will be such a positive thing for, not just the Coffs Harbour locals, but it will become an attraction for people to come from around the country and indeed from around the world, for international visitors as well. We know that the Coffs Coast is such a beautiful place, I've spent a fair bit of time there over the years and you're very lucky, your listeners, to be enjoying it and don't take it for granted because it is indeed a wonderful part of Australia.
CHABAUD: We know it, we know it. Well, it's great to have you here and yes, so many smiling faces, I think a lot of people were really blown away by it. So, Yarrila, definitely something worth checking out, maybe next week with the school holidays, take the kids.
Radio interview Triple M Coffs Coast Breakfast, 18 September 2023
https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/letters-to-the-editor-all-that-glitters-is-not-gold
“At Coffs Harbour City Council’s meeting on 9 September it was resolved to officially name the Cultural and Civic Space building Yarrila Place. Yarrila is a Gumbaynggirr word that means “illuminate / brighten / light up / illustrate”. This resolution was supported by all Councillors.
Pronounced Yarrila (YAA-rila), the name was chosen as it speaks to Coffs’ bright future and the “illumination” and enjoyment of knowledge, arts and heritage and bringing the creativity of our community to light. The chosen name also hints at the light reflected from the ceramic foils of the building itself and the integrated skylight which brightens the internal atrium with natural light.
The community consultation/engagement process undertaken showed a very clear desire by the Coffs community to use Gumbaynggirr language for the name.”
Official Building Naming Process Brings Light to Yarrila Place, 10 September 2021
https://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/Your-Council/Projects-and-initiatives/Current-projects/Yarrila-Place-Project
18 August 2023, p19
29 September 2023, p.26
29 September 2023, p.27
Coffs Coast News of the Area
22 September 2023, p.1
Coffs Coast News of the Area
22 September 2023, p.2
Coffs Coast News of the Area
22 September 2023, p.5
News of the Area Coffs Coast
1 September 2023, p.21
News of the Area Coffs Coast
8 September 2023, p.9
News of the Area - Coffs Coast
25 August 2023, p.14
https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/category/coffs-coast
Coffs Harbour Advocate
11 May 2019, p.1
Coffs Harbour Advocate
11 May 2019, p.8
News of the Area - Coffs Coast
21 Jul 2023, p.23
News of the Area - Coffs Coast
14 July 2023, p.23
News of the Area - Coffs Coast
23 June 2023, p.27
News of the Area - Coffs Coast
23 June 2023, p.27
9 October 2020, p.5
https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/category/coffs-coast
Coffs Coast Advocate, 9 April 2010, p.24
A Hills Weeping Fig tree (Ficus Microcarpa var. ‘Hillii’) was preserved in Riding Lane as part of the Yarrila Place precinct. It was estimated to be between 70 - 80 years old in 2019.
Many of the same type of tree grows in the centre of the main street of Sawtell. They were dated as 70 years old in 2018. [Source: Coffs Coast Advocate, 17 March 2018, p.51]