Sydney’s New $1 Billion Powerhouse Parramatta Museum Opens Amidst Kiwi Artistry and Controversy

Sydney’s $1.1 billion Powerhouse Parramatta has thrown open its doors, marking the city’s largest cultural investment since the Opera House, with a stunning display of New Zealand artistry at its heart.

1News reported the museum, dubbed “The Milk Crate” for its distinctive lattice walls, officially opened over the weekend after years of anticipation and controversy.

The new institution is a titan of a building, spanning six enormous floors and covering more space than three rugby fields. Its opening was a momentous occasion, but also one tinged with the unresolved drama surrounding its former leader. Powerhouse president David Borger declared, “It’s been a long time since we’ve launched something as big as this. But there’s a new house in town, the Powerhouse Parramatta.”

A Kiwi Masterpiece at the Center of a Storm

At the ceremonial heart of this new Australian landmark sits a powerful piece of Aotearoa. A 9-metre long waka, designed by Adelaide-based Māori artist Peter Elers, stands as a centrepiece in the museum’s courtyard.

The waka, a vessel rich in cultural significance, was built over 17 months by a small team of carvers, including Elers himself. “To be able to continue doing our art form in a different country is an absolute blessing,” Elers said, reflecting on the piece’s journey.

The waka is more than just a beautiful object; it’s a statement of cultural connection. Elers explained it incorporates elements from a range of Pacific cultures, a deliberate choice to reflect the diversity of Sydney.

“It’s a growing community,” he said, “as you can see this amazing building here now, to help showcase our amazing culture and how long we’ve been here.” Back in New Zealand, the waka is integral to stories, livelihoods, and history, he added, noting it “is still carrying our stories into the future.”

Yet, the celebration of the museum’s opening exists alongside a cloud of uncertainty. The Sydney Morning Herald noted that banners declaring the Powerhouse “not a museum” and “vale Willow Grove” were visible during the festivities, a pointed reminder of the controversies that have dogged the project. These banners reference the demolition of the historic Willow Grove building and ongoing debates about the museum’s purpose and its treatment of its priceless collection.

Suzette Meade, a long-time heritage advocate, told the paper that the community’s feelings over the demolition remain raw. “Five years after the demolition of Willow Grove, the community’s blood still boils over this project,” she stated. “The NSW government underestimated the damage it caused, the disrespect it showed and how deeply it disenfranchised the people of Parramatta.”

The High Cost of Ambition

The sheer scale of the Powerhouse Parramatta project is staggering, and so are its costs. While the NSW government has touted it as a transformative investment, The Art Newspaper reports the final construction bill came to A$915 million ($641 million), a figure that places it among the most expensive cultural projects in the nation’s history.

This immense price tag has been accompanied by other large expenditures. The Art Newspaper also reported that in the run-up to the opening, millions were spent, including millions for an immersive experience created by British artist Es Devlin.

The financial scrutiny is coupled with leadership turmoil. The museum’s opening comes just months after the departure of its chief executive, Lisa Havilah, who stepped down in August over allegations of misconduct—a fact confirmed by multiple outlets. Havilah has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Her exit was preceded by a contentious “artistic associates” programme, which was ultimately scrapped after a state treasury review.

The Public Service Association had claimed the programme sidelined the museum’s own long-serving curators in favour of external non-specialists. In her stead, New South Wales government architect Abbie Galvin has taken over as acting chief executive, with former Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron brought on as a strategic adviser.

Photo: The Art Newspaper

Parramatta Museum Opens Amid Cost and Leadership Controversy

• Powerhouse Parramatta, Sydney’s $1.1 billion cultural behemoth, has opened, featuring a 9-metre Māori waka as a centerpiece, yet its arrival is shadowed by controversy over cost and leadership.
• The museum’s opening is a landmark moment for Western Sydney, but it is deeply entangled with unresolved issues, including the demolition of the Willow Grove heritage site and the abrupt exit of its former CEO.
• The project is a bold, if divisive, statement on the future of public cultural investment, drawing parallels to the Sydney Opera House while facing a far more complex and fraught present.

A Legacy of Debate and a Future Forged in Controversy

The Powerhouse Parramatta was first conceived seven years ago, a massive undertaking designed to revitalise Western Sydney. The Art Newspaper traces its origins back to 2015, when the Parramatta site was chosen over the long-standing Ultimo location.

The Ultimo museum, home to half a million objects since 1893, was closed in 2024 and is now undergoing a A$300m heritage revitalisation. However, a public petition has been launched to save parts of the Ultimo site, fuelled by reports suggesting the government might sell it to help cover the costs of the new Parramatta project.

The museum’s journey has been anything but smooth, marked by “four NSW premiers, two parliamentary inquiries, and a bill of $1 billion,” as the SMH put it. Controversies have swirled around its location, its focus, and the very identity of the institution.

The Art Newspaper noted that experts had warned even before construction began that the building’s riverfront undercroft would flood in heavy rain, casting a long shadow over its future. While the Opera House was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2007, the Art Newspaper starkly observed, “a similarly illustrious future for the Powerhouse…is far from assured.”

Despite the turbulence, the NSW government has positioned the Powerhouse as a cornerstone of the city’s future. Chris Minns, as quoted by the SMH, acknowledged the investigation into Havilah’s departure but stressed the importance of moving forward. “There’s an investigation taking place, and we need to make sure that’s done,” he said.

“But I think that you can do two things at the same time.” The government has declared the museum its answer to The Smithsonian and London’s British Museum, a bold ambition that will be tested in the years to come.

The opening festival, featuring events including talks from Space Shuttle astronaut Charles Bolden, is designed to be a launchpad for this new era. Most events are free, showing a commitment to public access. As the museum doors finally opened this week, the sense of celebration was palpable, even as debates continued.

“We’ve literally had scissor lifts just quietly driving out of the building early this morning because they never ever seem to stop,” Galvin remarked, “but finally pens down, polishing cloths down, and they’re ready to hand it over to the public.”

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