For the first time in close to 20 years, The City of Mandurah launched a brand refresh to share what matters to Mandurah and why.
Mandurah mayor Rhys Williams, Junior mayor Tommaso Sewell, and Aboriginal elder Harry Nannup unveiled the new logo on Wednesday as councillors and community leaders clapped in celebration.
Mayor Rhys Williams said the Council had recognised the need for a strong brand for Mandurah that would help set the image and reputation of this place, now and into the future.
"A strong brand has always been important, but more so now than ever, we need to be loud and clear about Mandurah's priorities, needs, and aspirations so we can confidently evolve to become a 21st century city without losing sight of those things that make us unique," he said.
"Every local government area in WA and beyond is seeking investment, support, engagement and involvement for the betterment of their community, and we need to be clear about who we are, what we value and what we aspire to be, so we can confidently and successfully advocate for and deliver on those things that are important to our own local community.
"This brand represents our community stories and growth, from our Indigenous Noongar first people, to the many people who are proud to call Mandurah home today, and those stories are central to our identity."
Mandurah's new place aspiration, "Woven by waterways, a city with a village heart", is reflected within the new brand, and is a culmination of community ideas and input collected during the Mandurah Matters engagement project.
"When you look at the elements that make up the new identity it's easy to see that our Indigenous heritage and storytelling about our water-based lifestyle take pride of place," Mr Williams said.
"It helps us to understand the story of our place, recognising the importance of our past as we take bold steps into our future."
One of the first steps in rolling out the new brand was the dual naming of city-owned buildings.
Announcing the dual names proudly, Aboriginal community leader George Walley said the new brand was a restorative process.
"The process to get to this point has been a magnificent one," he said.
"Thousands of years ago our ancestors gave us these names so what we are doing is restorative."
The Council Chambers (Boordiya Mia), Administration Building (Yoolin Mia), Mandurah Seniors and Community Centre (Dandjoo Kaadadjan Mia) and Billy Dower Youth Centre (Moorditj Mia) will all receive dual name branding in Noongar language in 2020/21.
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"Dual naming our buildings and meeting places is an important step in celebrating and preserving traditional language of our first people," Mr Williams said.
"Our local Aboriginal people will be able to see part of themselves reflected in our places and spaces, and that is so important."
The colour palette of the new identity has also been chosen to reflect the colours of the landscapes of Mandurah and its connection to the land and water. It has been inspired by the six Noongar seasons - Birak, Kambarang, Djilba, Mookaroo, Djiran and Boonaroo.
The rollout of the new City brand will be gradual, starting with a new-look City website, which currently attracts around 50,000 visitors each month.
