Bluey and Bingo to headline new Riverway library opening
Date published: 19 April 2023
ABC Kids phenomenon Bluey will be the star of the show at the much-anticipated opening of the new Riverway Library and Community Hub on Saturday, 29 April.
Council will welcome beloved blue heeler pup Bluey and her equally cheeky little sister Bingo as part of the Community Family Fun Day from 9am-3pm to celebrate the opening of the modern, state-of-the-art facility.
This free, community event will feature two separate performances from Bluey and Bingo as well as live music, children’s activities, face painting, art activity workshops and food trucks.
Local Indigenous group the Wulgurukaba Dancers will also have a full performance on the day, including a welcome to country and smoking ceremony, with Torres Strait group the Komet Dancers also set to perform.
Mayor Jenny Hill said this event was the perfect way for Council to welcome the community to the city’s newest space to connect, cultivate and transform the culture of the city.
“The opening of the new Riverway Library was always going to be a special day and having Bluey and Bingo there to help celebrate adds to the fun and excitement,” Cr Hill said.
“This will be a wonderful, free event for families in Townsville to come and check out our brand-new state-of-the-art facility at our main activity precinct for families before taking in all the excitement of the Bluey live shows.”
Bluey: Grannies was the most popular children’s picture book borrowed across all three Citylibraries branches over the last year.
Bluey was also the star of Townsville Citylibraries most attended program, with 667 attendees at Messy Play in the Park featuring Bluey activities at Queens Gardens on 19 September.
Community and Cultural Development Committee chairperson Ann-Maree Greaney said Townsville is a city for families and both this event and the new library and community hub were further proof of this.
“Welcoming Bluey to help open this wonderful new facility is a major coup for our city and something that will bring a lot of joy to local families,” Cr Greaney said.
“The Community Family Fun Day is an inclusive event, particularly of the local Aboriginal community and families, and will help promote the new Library service as a key cultural destination.
“Council is committed to making Townsville a city that connects you to what you need, when you need it, and the Riverway Library and Community Hub helps us deliver on that promise.”
The construction of the facility kicked off in May last year following an internationally award-winning consultation with community to ensure Townsville locals had their say on the design of the modern facility.
