Protocols for Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of ... - BP

Protocols for Welcome to Countryand Acknowledgement ofTraditional Ownership

What is a Welcome to Country?A Welcome to Country is where an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islandercustodian or elder from the local area or region welcome people to their land.Welcome to Country always occurs at the opening of an event and is usuallythe first item on the program.The local Aboriginal/Torres Strait custodians or traditional owners conduct theceremony and may be done through speech, song, ceremony or a combinationof these things.Why do we arrange a Welcome to Country?Arranging a Welcome to Country ceremony thatacknowledges the traditional custodians of the land showsrespect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people asAustralia’s First Peoples. Ceremonies and protocols are afundamental part of Aboriginal culture.We do this to increase the understanding and mutualrespect for cultural practices by Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islanders and the wider community.When would we do a Welcome to Country?A Welcome to Country is appropriate in thoseinstances where:• There is a large gathering of people (300+) and/or• There is an event to celebrate/mark (eg. A new buildingopening)How do we arrange for a Welcome to Country?If you would like to organise a Welcome to Country for anevent, please refer to the Traditional Owner fact sheetsfound under the RAP collateral section of BP’s intranetOr click here.W331949 PROTOCOLS FOR WELCOME TO COUNTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERSHIP2

Things to consider before arranging for aWelcome to CountryEvent organisers need to ensure that the traditionalowners of the land are involved in the Welcome to Countryceremony. This is a right of the local traditional owners andis not a privilege.It is important to invite local Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islanderrepresentatives into any planned proposal at the outset todiscuss and decide:• The format of the ceremony• Who should be invited• Who should perform the Welcome to Country and• How that person will be recognised for their timeand commitment.Observing Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander protocolincludes allowing time for traditional decision-makingand discussion amongst traditional custodians. Thiscan take some time and should be factored into theplanning process.There is usually also a cost associated with performinga Welcome to Country, which should also be considered.This cost can vary depending on regions.Responding to a Welcome to CountryIt is necessary for the speaker who follows immediatelyafter the Welcome to Country ceremony to providea response.Part of the response should acknowledge the person whodelivered the Welcome to Country. If the custodians of theland are not the traditional owners, it may be necessary toacknowledge both groups.The following text can be used in response to thetraditional Welcome to Country:We respectfully acknowledge the past and presenttraditional owners of this land on which we aremeeting, the people. It isa privilege to be standing on country.The following text could be used if the custodians are notthe traditional owners:I respectfully acknowledge the past and presenttraditional owners of the land on which we stand the people and the peoplewho are the custodians.W331949 PROTOCOLS FOR WELCOME TO COUNTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERSHIP3

Acknowledgement of CountryWhat is an Acknowledgement of Country?An Acknowledgement of Country is a way for the widercommunity to demonstrate respect for Aboriginal protocol,and can be performed by any individual – Indigenous ornon-Indigenous, at any occasion.How does it differ from a Welcometo Country?• An acknowledgement of Country can be conducted by anon-Indigenous person, whereas a Welcome to Countrycan only be conducted by select Indigenous persons.• An acknowledgement of Country consists of justspoken word, whereas a Welcome to Country maybe a combination of song, dance and/or speech.• There is no cost to conduct an Acknowledgementof Country.When would we do an Acknowledgementof Country?There may be some events/gatherings where it is notappropriate or possible to do a Welcome to Country.These include when:• The nature of the event is too small or not consideredimportant enough to warrant a Welcome to Country(eg. Meetings, Townhalls)• Organisers are not able to make suitable arrangementwith the traditional land owners (eg. Prohibitive costs,not enough time to discuss requirements)• Traditional owners cannot perform a Welcome toCountry because of personal reasons and/or culturalbusiness.In these circumstances it is important that a seniormanager acknowledges the traditional owners of the landin an appropriate way.As a suggested measure, where the gathering consistsof >50 people, there should be an Acknowledgementof Country.What do you say to Acknowledge Country– if you know the traditional ownersI respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditionalowners of this land on which we are meeting, the people. It is a privilege to be standingon country.What do you say to Acknowledge Country– if you don’t know the traditional ownersI respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditionalowners of this land on which we are meeting.How do you find out who are the traditionalcustodians of the land in your area?Please refer to the Traditional Owner fact sheets foundunder the RAP collateral section of BP’s intranet orclick here.W331949 PROTOCOLS FOR WELCOME TO COUNTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERSHIP4

How many people willbe present at the event?If more than 150+If less than 150Has a Welcome to countrybeen performed at a similarevent before?INTERNAL EVENTIf internal only and >50 then anAcknowledgment of Countrywould be appropriate.Please refer to Welcometo Country protocol forappropriate wording.EXTERNAL EVENTIf External – Will there beGovernment or Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islanderrepresentatives present?YesNoYesNoA Welcome toA Welcome toA Welcome to countryis not required.Country may beappropriate pleaserefer to the TraditionalOwner fact sheetsfound under theRAP collateral sectionof BP’s intranet orCountry may beappropriate pleaserefer to the TraditionalOwner fact sheetsfound under theRAP collateral sectionof BP’s intranet orAn Acknowledgmentof Country may bemore suitable. Pleaserefer to Welcome toCountry protocol forappropriate wording.click here.click here.W331949 PROTOCOLS FOR WELCOME TO COUNTRY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERSHIP5

Largs (City of Port Adelaide Enfield)The Largs Bay area and the greater City of Port Adelaide Enfield comprise territory which is the traditional land ofthe Kaurna people. Kaurna Country (Kaurna Yerta) extends north towards Crystal Brook, down the Adelaide plains,south along the coast to Cape Jervis and is bounded by the Mount Lofty Ranges to the east.For information in regard to conducting Welcome to Country ceremonies for events and gatherings, orAcknowledgement of Country, follow this link: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/670/For contact with local groups who may be able to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies, contact:Kura Yerlo Inc208 Lady Gowrie DrLargs Bay S.A. 5016P.O. Box 203Port Adelaide 5015Phone: (08) 8449 7367Fax: (08) 8341 7006Email: reception@kurayerloinc.org.auCity of Port Adelaide Enfield163 St Vincent Street, Port Adelaide SA 5015PO Box 110 Port Adelaide SA 5015Ph: (08) 8405 6600 | (08) 8405 6666E: custserv@portenf.sa.gov.au | W: www.portenf.sa.gov.auKurruru Youth Performing Arts135 St Vincent StPort Adelaide SA 5015Ph: (08) 8341 1150Other local networks:Port Adelaide Primary Health Care CentreCnr Church & Dale St, Port Adelaide SA 5015Ph: (08) 8240 9611Uniting Care Wesley Port Adelaide Inc.70 Dale St, Port Adelaide SA 5015Ph: (08) 8241 0211Tauondi Aboriginal Community College Inc.1 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide SA 5015PO Box 409 Port Adelaide SA 5015Ph: (08) 8240 0300 | Fax: (08) 8240 0786Culture (local knowledge):It was recognised that amongst Indigenous people, family relationships, cultural practices and traditions, spiritualrituals and beliefs, and social constructs and teachings, were intimately tied and connected to land, not only to aplace of birth and its environs but also to the ‘dreaming’ places and tracks of ancestral spirits. ‘Dreaming’ stories andlanguage constituted reality for the local Kaurna people and to this day, these stories are important in recognisingIndigenous cultural heritage and reasserting it within the landscape.There was an interconnectedness between Indigenous people and their land, their ancestors, their spiritualancestors, their knowledge and stories, their practices, and their families. In particular, the ‘sacredness’ of siteswas misunderstood because Indigenous mythology and its influence on Kaurna cultural practices was an intangibleconcept. As a result, there was little recognition of the manner in which Kaurna people learnt, how they saw the landas their ‘University’ that their people.The various Kaurna Aboriginal groups had a well-established pattern of occupation. During the summer they rangedfreely within recognised land owning boundaries, generally favouring the dunes and coastal areas where they couldlive satisfactorily off a wide range of fish and shellfish while extensive marshes adjacent to the coast teemed withwater birds of many species. Marsupials of all sizes were plentiful and in addition there were extensive vegetablefood sources, many of which are now extinct.Traditional foods includes possum, kangaroo, emu eggs, quandong, bush turkey, acacia seeds and gum, fish andW292782

Largs (City of Port Adelaide Enfield)shellfish, witchetty grubs, ducks and other birds and seeds for flour. Young men wear black cockatoo feathers in theirhair when dressed for ceremony. Nets are used to catching ducks and fish. Wooden implements are used for diggingand throwing and wooden bowls are used for water and seed collecting.The Social structure of the Kaurna appeared to have followed the classic cellular pattern of Aboriginal society. Thetribe was a group that enjoyed a common language - with some regional dialects - and experienced a strong sense ofbelonging to a distinct social group, within a well- defined geographical boundary.Areas of particular note within the Port Adelaide Enfield region include:Gillman Dune: Now almost entirely levelled or developed, offered elevated locations extending well into the low lying,food prone environments surrounding the southern edge of the estuary. The strategic importance of this feature isillustrated in the number of sites found along its length including camps that were maintained well into historic timesin and around Port Adelaide/Yertabulti.Gepps Cross – Dry Creek area: The discovery of several skulls aligning the Kilburn dunes near Gepps Cross wasreported in The Adelaide Observer 1/8/1868 with the article noting that the area was a well-known fighting ground’and skeletons and implements had been found throughout the area on previous occasions.Rosewater – Queenstown area: A number of sites (burials and a ceremonial ground) have been recorded in the areaaligning along the Rosewater dunes. A shallow waterhole located in the area had been used by Aboriginals togetherwith the local settlers and teamsters carting ore from Burra to Port Adelaide/Yertabulti. The locality of the waterholewas later called ‘Rosewater’ for its high quality water.History:The arrival of the British settlers soon disrupted the balance achieved between the Kaurna and Tandanya. The Kaurnaway of life that relied on mobility within their defined territory was in direct conflict with the Europeans’ plans tosurvey and sell their land. Within twenty years, many Kaurna had died from illnesses and diseases introduced by thesettlers. The survivors were transported to a native settlement at Poonindie, near Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula,well outside Kaurna territory. Only since the 1960s have some people of Kaurna descent started to come back toAdelaide to live.Sources and further reading:www.portenf.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Final_Report_August_2007.pdfwww.history.sa.gov.au/history/adelaide_history/adelaide_brief_history.pdfwww.seafordrisecc.sa.edu.au/kaurna_tjilbruke.htmwww.portenf.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Final_Report_August_2007.pdfwww.kaurnaplacenames.comW292782

KwinanaTraditional Owners and Local NetworksThe Town of Kwinana is situated on land which was inhabited by the Whadjuk Nyoongar people for over 40,000years.For information and protocols in regard to conducting Welcome to Country ceremonies or Acknowledgement ofCountry for events and gatherings, please follow this link: http://www.noongar.org.au/images/pdf/forms/BookTwo-ProtocolGuide16p.pdfFor contact with local groups who may be able to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies, contact:Town of KwinanaPO Box 21, Kwinana WA 6966Cnr Gilmore Avenue and Sulphur Road,Kwinana WA 6167Ph: (08) 9439 0200 | Fax: (08) 9439 0222E: admin@kwinana.wa.gov.au | W: www.kwinana.wa.gov.auMoorditj Koort Aboriginal Health & WellnessCentre Kwinana & Rockingham150 Gilmore AvenueMedina WA 6167Ph: (08) 9439 9540Fax: (08) 9439 6288www.rkdgp.com.au/site/index.cfmOther Local Networks:Bridging the GapUnit 24B, Kwinana Commercial Centre, 43 Meares Av,Kwinana WA 6167Ph: (08) 9419 2553 | Fax: (08) 9439 2552E: mailbox@bridgingthegap.org.au | W: www.bridgingthegap.org.auNanakaat Aboriginal Family SupportHutchins Cove (rear of TAFE), Kwinana WA 6167Ph: (08) 9419 0417 | Fax: (08) 9439 0272E: nanakaat@kwinana.wa.gov.au | W: www.kwinana.wa.gov.auKwinana Community Health & Development Centre1 Peel Ct, Kwinana WA 6167Ph: (08) 9419 2266 | Fax: (08) 9439 1088Parent and Adolescent Counselling Service1 Peel Ct, Kwinana WA 6167Ph: (08) 9528 0702 | Fax: (08) 9528 0755E: rebecca.henderson@anglicarewa.org.au | W:www.anglicarewa.org.auCulture (local knowledge):The Aboriginal peoples of the Kwinana area are part of the Nyoongar people. Nyoongar people traditionally lived anomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle, travelling to and from destinations and meeting areas throughout the seasons.Wetlands have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal people. They were also sources of abundant food and freshwater and were often used as camp sites. Nyoongar family groups usually moved through the south-west landscapein a set pattern, within a designated tract of territory, often following fresh water sources.The Swan River Nyoongars described the coastal region south of Perth in geological divisions. Booyeembara, theportion along the coast, consisted principally of limestone rock, and generally supported the Xanthorea, and a fewspecies of eucalyptus such as Tuart, Pricklybark and Flooded Gum. Running parallel to, and behind this division wasGandoo, a sandy terrain rich in Jarrah and Marri. Warget, the division behind and parallel to Gandoo, stretched alongthe foothills of the Darling Range.The Spectacles Wetlands area is a significant site for Aboriginal people. The wetlands is a part of the indigenousterritory known as the Beeliar Nation and is identified as the area of tribal elder Midgegooroo. Midgegooroo andhis people were transitional and, like their ancestors, moved within the Beeliar territory according to the particularseason. The Spectacles Wetlands is part of the major and ancient trade route that follows the freshwater lakeslinking the Aboriginal peoples of the Murray and Swan rivers.W292782

KwinanaThe area has cultural significance as a ceremonial, camping and food gathering site. Kwinana has a rich Aboriginalheritage and is the second largest indigenous community in the Perth metropolitan area.Seventeen significant Nyoongar places in the City of Kwinana have been listed on the Register of Aboriginal Sitesestablished by the Department of Indigenous Affairs. The largest number of places of Aboriginal significance inKwinana are artefact sites – including finds at Woolcoot Road Swamp, Treeby Road Lake, Mortimer, Bellway SandQuarry, Chalk Hill camps, Bertram Road, Norkett Road, Sloans reserve, Wally’s camp, Thomas Oval, Hope Valley andLeda. Mythological sites have been registered at Mandogalup (Spectacles) and Mount Brown (Booyeeanup).The lakes of Beeliar Regional Park are also important as spiritual and mythological locations. The spiritual connectionbetween the Aboriginal community and North and Bibra Lakes continues today.History:In the Whadjuk (Nyoongar) Indigenous language the word Kwinana means ‘Pretty Maiden’.Some knowledge of groups occupying the land south of the Swan River can be derived from the investigationsof early European settlers, as no historical records made by Aboriginal people have survived. In 1832, the earlysettler Robert Lyon, with the help of Yagan, then a prisoner on Carnac Island, compiled a list of Aboriginal groups incontact with the Swan River settlement. This information was published in the Perth Gazette in 1833. Five yearslater, Francis Armstrong- who spoke five Nyoongar dialects- recorded the names of groups in the south-west ofWestern Australia. In 1834, the 21-year-old Armstrong had been placed in charge of the newly established AboriginalInstitution at the base of Mt Eliza. He was Chief Advisor on Aboriginal Affairs to Governors Stirling and Hutt; heserved as the Superintendent of the Native Institution between 1834 and 1838; the official Interpreter for Aboriginesin the Courts; a teacher in the Perth Aboriginal School (1840-1845); and then became the Moral Superintendent tothe Aboriginal prisoners on Rottnest Island. In 1871, he held the position of Government Interpreter to the NativeTribes of Western Australia.With the coming of European settlement in 1829, the way of life of the Nyoongars was irreversibly changed. By theend of that first year, the Aboriginal firing of the bush to flush out game and the raiding of farmer’s food stocks hadroused strong settler opposition. The ensuing Nyoongar resistance to expanding settlement in the Swan River Colonyultimately proved futile, however. Apart from their inability to unify politically to organize effective resistance, theAborigines were disadvantaged by their reluctance to adopt the European technology of warfare.The basis of Nyoongar traditions was also undermined as Aborigines were drawn into the political economy of settlersociety. As early as 1833, Aboriginal labour was employed in the fishing industry at Mandurah. Towards the end ofthe second decade of settlement, the Nyoongar were also employed in a variety of other occupations. They foundwork in whaling operations on the beach as well as boats’ crew, as domestic servants, farm labourers, guides tosurveyors and explorers, constables and trackers, and as mailmen. By 1848, estimates put the number of Aboriginesemployed by the colonists at 540.Other factors impacting negatively on the Nyoongars included the loss of traditional food sources due to expansion ofEuropean settlement, and the devastating effect of diseases to which they had no natural immunity. In 1841, influenzakilled large numbers of Nyoongar children and the elderly. In 1848, a whooping cough epidemic had a further deadlyeffect on the Aboriginal population. A new influenza epidemic in 1851 also caused a large loss of life in Nyoongarcommunities. Major epidemics of measles and influenza caused further death and disability in the 1880s.By 1900, however, there was the start of a gradual increase in the part-Aboriginal population of the south-west ofWestern Australia. There was also a steady movement of Aboriginal groups from beyond the ‘circumcision line’into the south-west area that was the traditional territory of the Nyoongar. By the late 20th century, the Aboriginalpopulation of the south-west had begun to recover. So much so that now, in the 21st century, men, women andchildren claiming Nyoongar descent are again one of the largest identifiable Aboriginal populations in Australia.W292782Sources and further reading:www.kwinana.wa.gov.auwww.rockingham.wa.gov.auwww.melvillecity.com.au/environment/www.dia.wa.gov.au/AHIS/default.aspxwww.spectaclestours.com.au

KewdaleTraditional Owners and Local NetworksKewdale is situated on land which was inhabited by the Whadjuk, (also called Wajuk, Wadjuk, Whajook and Wadjug),who belonged to the greater South Western language group of Noongar Aboriginal peoples. The Whadjuk, had theirown distinctive dialect.For information and protocols in regard to conducting Welcome to Country ceremonies or Acknowledgement ofCountry for events and gatherings, please follow this link: http://www.noongar.org.au/images/pdf/forms/BookTwo-ProtocolGuide16p.pdfFor contact with local groups who may be able to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies, contact:City of BelmontLocked Bag 379 Cloverdale WA 6985215 Wright Street, Cloverdale WA 6105Ph: (08) 9477 7222 | Fax: (08) 9478 1473E: belmont@belmont.wa.gov.au | W: www.belmont.wa.gov.auJacaranda Community Centre146 Epsom Ave, Belmont WAPO Box 142, Cloverdale WA 6895Tel: 9477 4346 9478 1219E: info@jacarandacommunitycentre.org.auW: www.jacarandacommunitycentre.org.auOther local networks:Advocare1/190 Abernethy Rd, BelmontT: 9479 7566E: rights@advocare.org.auW: www.advocare.org.au/aap.phpBelmont Youth ServicesYouth Centre275 Abernethy Rd, BelmontT: 9477 7132 M: 0417 097 032Town Of Victoria Park Library27 Sussex St, East Victoria Park WA 6101Ph: (08) 9361 1977 | Fax: (08) 9470 5802E: library@vicpark.wa.gov.au | W: www.vicpark.wa.gov.auWestern Australian MuseumLocked Bag 49, Welshpool DC. WA 698649 Kew Street, Welshpool WA 6106Ph: (08) 9427 2859 | Fax: (08) 9212 3882E: reception@museum.wa.gov.au | W: www.museum.wa.gov.auCulture (local knowledge):The Nyoongar people of the Swan and Canning rivers were divided into a number of different groups. Each group hadits own identified territory and held specific cultural and hunting rights over particular stretches of the country. Thesystem of traditional ownership and associated special usage rights was far more complex than the current Europeansystem of land ownership as Salvado’s observation’s state:“Every individual has his own territory for hunting, gathering, gum and picking up yams, and the rights he has here arerespected and sacred .... Consequently, each family regards one particular district as belonging exclusively to itself,though the use of it is freely shared by nearby friendly families (Salvado, 1977).These territory rights were inherited through complex kinship systems and although these may have altered due tothe impacts of European occupation the spiritual association with land that underpins this system continues to play amajor role for the local Nyoongar people today.W292782

KewdaleNyoongar people traditionally lived a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle, travelling to and from destinations andmeeting areas throughout the seasons. Wetlands have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal people. They werealso sources of abundant food and fresh water and were often used as camp sites. Nyoongar family groups usuallymoved through the south-west landscape in a set pattern, within a designated tract of territory, often following freshwater sources.Norman Tindale (1974) states the Whadjuk’s territory as extending from the: ..“Swan River and northern and easterntributaries inland to beyond Mount Helena; at Kalamunda, Armadale, Victoria Planes, South of Toodyay, and westernvicinity of York; at Perth; south along the coast to near Pinjarra”.History:When the British settlers arrived at the Swan River in 1829 the country was already divided into Indigenous familyterritories. Yellagonga’s land, named Mooro, included Perth and the northern suburbs. Munday’s land, ‘Beeloo’, wasbetween the Canning and Helena Rivers. Midgegooroo and his son Yagan held ‘Beeliar’, which included Fremantleand all the land south to Rockingham. Both Munday and Yagan offered strong resistance against colonisation of theirlands.In 1830, the Hardey brothers Joseph and John arrived aboard the ‘Tranby’. John Hardey and his son Robert Daveywere destined to own practically the entire Belmont area. John Hardey called his new property on the Swan ‘GroveFarm’.The land which come to be known as Belmont, is part of a land grant assigned to Captain Francis Henry Byrne in1831, was believed to have been named Belmont after Byrne’s estate in England.In 1832 Yagan was arrested for spearing William Gaze and would surely have been executed. A settler named RobertLyon argued that Yagan was acting in defence of his country and should not be hanged, but rather made a prisonerof war. This was accepted and Yagan with two companions, Dommera and Ningana, were removed under guard toCarnac Island, a few kilometres from the coast. Lyon went with Yagan and recorded information about families andtheir territories as well as the names of places, flora and fauna across what is now the Perth metropolitan area. Thiswas the first recording of the Nyoongar language.In October 1832 Yagan escaped from Carnac Island and in July 1833 he was shot dead by William Keats, who wasthen fatally speared. Yagan’s body was mutilated, his preserved head placed on exhibit in England in 1834. In 1997,Yagan’s remains were returned to Perth.Sources and further reading:www.swanrivertrust.wa.gov.auwww.vicpark.wa.gov.au/pdf/Package_K_3_FINAL.pdfwww.belmont.wa.gov.au/Services/Planning/Documents/2007 Municipal Heritage Inventory Intro.pdfW292782

HawthornThe Traditional Owners of the land around present day Hawthorn are the Wurundjeri willam tribe, part of the WoiWurrung language group.For contact with local groups who may be able to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies, contact:Wurundjeri Tribe Land & CompensationCultural Heritage Council IncorporatedPh: (03) 8673 09011 St Heliers StreetAbbotsford VIC 3067reception@wurundjeri.com.auOther local networks:City of BoroondaraPrivate Bag 1 Camberwell 3124 VIC8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell 3124 VICPh: (03) 9278 4444 | Fax: (03) 9278 4466E: boroondara@boroondara.vic.gov.au | W: www.boroondara.vic.gov.auBoroondara Volunteer Resource Centre405 Camberwell Road, Camberwell VIC 3124Ph: (03) 9278 4550Culture (local knowledge):As hunters and gatherers the Wurundjeri willam clan subsisted on the plants and animals within their clan estate.Their patterns of settlement were based on seasonal rounds following the changing availability of plant and animalresources. There are few historic details on traditional Woi wurrung subsistence for the language group as a whole.It is likely that Woi wurrung patterns of settlement and movement were based on seasonal rounds following thechanging availability of plant and animal resources. Historical details on how animals were traditionally procured (thetechniques of hunting) and how and when plants were harvested are extremely poor for most of Aboriginal Victoria. Itis known that the Woi wurrung used spears to hunt and that hunters would hide behind vegetation or construct hidesof stone.Nets were also used where game animals would be chased into them.Certain foods were common including:• the Yam daisy or Murnong, the tuber of which was dug up by women;• bull-rush roots which were collected from waterways and roasted;• eels, which were a seasonal food caught in stone weirs and long fibre nets;• kangaroos and other smaller macropods which were hunted;• birds and their eggs;• possums - the fur of brush tail possums was used to make cloaks and the meat roasted.The Wurundjeri willam belonged to one of two moieties, named after the Dreamtime ancestors, Bunjil (Eaglehawk)and Waa (Australian raven). Moiety affiliation was determined at birth with the child taking the moiety of the father’sclan. Kulin people were exogamous meaning they had to marry outside their clan, but also someone of the oppositemoiety.W292782

HawthornHistory:One of the first references by Europeans to Aboriginal people in the Boroondara area was made by James Fleming,a member of the survey party of Charles Grimes, which made its way up the Yarra in 1803. Fleming was to report onthe agricultural potential of the country:“Monday 7th (February 1803) - Early in the morning the party went up the river before with the doctor, went up thelittle hill (Batman’s Hill) we had been at on the 4th, where we stopped to breakfast. Proceeded to a creek (Gardiner’sCreek), where we dined. Saw some natives...”.Smith’s 1896 history of Hawthorn records that John Gardiner, one of the earliest settlers in the Boroondara region,took up land on the south side of the Yarra in 1837. Gardiner established his home at the junction of Gardiner’s Creekand the Yarra River, in the grounds of what is now Scotch College:“Pushing his way round the bank of the stream, he came to large creek upon which numbers of native wild fowl werefound, and here he settled. It was not long before the blacks found him out, and as he treated them well they becamefriendly. He asked them the name of the place and they said they called it “Boroondarra”, signifying “shady place”.He also asked them the name of the wild fowl on the creek, and they called these “Kooyongkoot”. He thereforenamed the district Boroondara [...] while he called the stream the Kooyongkoot Creek. The former title has beenretained to this day, but the latter has been discarded, and the creek named after Gardiner himself” (Smith 1896: 8).Journalist of the day James Smith (1896) wrote of the local indigenous population:‘The tribe was one of the most powerful in the whole Port Phillip district, and ranged all over the country drained bythe Yarra Yarra. The portion called by them “Boroondara” was a favourite resting place for the tribe, and on top of thehill now occupied by St. Xavier’s College at Kew they used to meet to hold periodical corroborees.’Sources and further reading:www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/our-city/arts-culture/indigenous/summaryW292782

GuildfordThe Traditional Owners of the land around the present day Guildford are the Bidjigal clan of the wider Darug tribalculture.For information in regard to conducting Welcome to Country ceremonies for events and gatherings, please follow thislink http://www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/08/Welcome-to-Country-Presentation.pdfFor contact with local groups who may be able to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies, contact:Darug Research & Information Centre71 Seven Hills Road SouthSeven Hills NSW 2147Phone/Fax 02 96224081Email: info@dric.org.auDarug Tribal Aboriginal CorporationPO Box 441 Blacktown NSW 2148Phone 02 96224081Email: darug_tribal@live.com.auOther local networks:Parramatta City CouncilPO Box 32, Parramatta, NSW, 212430 Darcy Street, Parramatta, NSW, 2150Ph: (02) 9806 5050 | Fax: (02) 9806 5917E: council@parracity.nsw.gov.au | W: www.parracity.nsw.gov.auHolroyd City CouncilP.O. Box 42 Merrylands, NSW 216016 Memorial Avenue, Merrylands NSW 2160Ph: (02) 9840 9840 | Fax: (02) 9840 9734E: records@holroyd.nsw.gov.au | W: www.holroyd.nsw.gov.auMurangbai Aboriginal After Care ServiceSuite 2, Level 2/ 46 Macquarie St, ParramattaPh: (02) 9633 9211 or 1800 422 555NSW State Land CouncilPO Box 1125, Parramatta NSW 2124Ground Floor - 33 Argyle St,Parramatta NSW 2150Ph: (02) 9689 4444 | Fax: (02) 9687 1234E: www.alc.org.au/contact-us.aspx | W: www.alc.org.auIndigenous Disability Advocacy ServiceSuite 4, 2/6 Kendall St, Harris Park 2150Ph: (02) 9687 7688 | Fax: (02) 9806 5917E: idas@idas.org.au | W: www.idas.org.auJobfind Centre, Aboriginal Mentor Program6/20 Macquarie St, Parramatta NSW 2150Ph: (02) 8881 4900E: jobfind_Parramatta@jobfindcentre.com.au | W:www.jobfindcentre.com.auParramatta/Holroyd Family Support Inc.37 Collins Street, Pendle Hill NSW 2145Ph: (02) 9636 8437 | Fax: (02) 9896 3139E: phfs37@bigpond.net.au | W: www.phfs.org.auParramatta River Catchment GroupPO Box 3720, Parramatta NSW 21241st Floor, Macquarie Tower, 10 Valentine Ave,Parramatta NSW 2150Ph: (02) 9895 6253 | Fax: (02) 9895 7330E: prcgcoordinator@cma.nsw.gov | W: www.parramattariver.org.auW292782

GuildfordCulture (local knowledge):Like all Aboriginal people, the Darug people did not own the land but belonged to the land. They had a strongconnection to the land; respected it and referred to the land as their mother. The Darug people had excellent landmanagement skills which meant they did not have to artificially cultivate crops. The Aboriginal population for theSydney region in 1788 has been estimated as being between 5000 and 8000 people, of which about 2000 belongedto the inland Darug people. The Darug people were thought to have lived in bands or communities of around 50members each. Each band retained its own hunting district, and each lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle, regularlychanging location within this district.A totem of the Darug people is the Warali Wal. Warali Wali is the Darug word for possum.One of the most distinctive features of pre-1788 Aboriginal Sydney was the cultural divide between the inlandpaiendra “tomahawk people” who hunted game and used their stone axes to cut climbing marks on trees, and thekatungal “sea people” who were oriented towards the seafood produce of the saltwater harbour, estuaries and oceanbeaches. The katungal people of the harbour and Botany Bay called themselves Eora (which meant “people of thisplace” or “people here”).History:In April 1788 an expedition headed by Captain Arthur Phillip reached a location on the Parramatta river bridged byseries of broad flat stones where a freshwater stream flowed into the tidal waters. Further along a crescent shapehad been carved into the bank by the river’s action. Making his way to a nearby rise he later described the area as avast undulating grassland interspersed with magnificent trees – a place ideal for a gaol town and farm. Exploring thearea the party was surprised to see traces of the Dharug people, and noted that the local people spoke the coastaldialect. Little did they know that the Burra-matta-gal lands were a meeting point where for thousands of years theinland and coastal people fought ceremonial battles and held corroborees.The Bidjigal clan is inseparable from its leader Pemulwuy (a name derived from ‘bimul’ meaning ‘earth’) who, inDecember 1790, ambushed and fatally speared Governor Phillip’s game hunter, John McEntire. Samuel John Neeles’engraving of ‘Pimbloy’ is the only known image of Pemulwuy. ‘Theresemblance is thought to be striking by those who have seen him,’ wrote James Grant, captain of the sloop LadyNelson.Pemulwuy became a formidable resistance leader. In 1797, following a battle in Parramatta, he escaped afterhaving been filled with buckshot and was described as one that ‘No gun or pistol can kill’. Governor King outlawedPemulwuy in 1801, offering spirits and other rewards for his capture ‘dead or alive’.Pemulwuy was shot dead on 2 June 1802. He was decapitated and his head, preserved in spirits, was sent to SirJoseph Banks. Its whereabouts are unknown.Sources and for more information:www.holroyd.nsw.gov.auwww.discoverparramatta.com.auhttp://www.wollicreek.org.au/wp-content/wolliupload/panel02-traditional-owners.pdfwww.creativespirits.infohttp://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/hsie/background-sheetswww.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lrc.nsf/pages/RR7CHP2www.teachingheritage.nsw.edu.au/section03/timeindig.phpwww.nationaltrust.com.au/schoolsprogram/educationkits/SightingThePast.pdfUrban Theatre Projects: Burra matta- Parramatta by Leanne Tobin and Bonney Djuric;W292782

CedunaTraditional Owners and Local Networks:The traditional owners of the area now known as Ceduna, are the Wirangu language group (alternative spellingWirrongu, Wirrung, Wirrunga, Wirangga). Today, Wirangu people live in a number of different communities, includingYalata, Ceduna, Koonibba and Port Lincoln.For contact with local groups who may be able to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies, contact:Tjutjunaku Worka Tjuta Inc.39 McKenzie St,Ceduna SA 5690PO Box 520, Ceduna SA 5690T: (08) 86 253 210 | F: (08) 86 252 111W: www.cedunaregion.com/ceduna/Other local networks:District Council of CedunaPO Box 175, Ceduna SA 569044 O’Loughlin Terrace,Ceduna SA 5690T: (08) 8625 3407 | F: (08) 8625 3435W: www.ceduna.sa.gov.auE: council@ceduna.sa.gov.auIndigenous Womens Centre45 McKenzie St, Ceduna SA 5690Tel. 08 8625 2187Scotdesco [Tjilkaba] Community(24km West of Penong & 94km West of Ceduna)Bookabie, South Australia.PMB 4 Ceduna SA 5690T: (08) 8625 6222 | F: (08) 8625 6232W: www.scotdesco.com | E: scotdesco.board@bigpond.comKoonibba Community Council(43kms west of Ceduna, along Highway 1 on the EyrePeninsula, SA)T: (08) 8625 0007 | F: (08) 8625 0036W: http://www.koonibba.com | E: ceokacci@aussiebroadband.com.auMaralinga Tjarutja Administration office43 McKenzie Street, Ceduna, SA, 5690T: (08) 8625 2946 | F: (08) 8625 3076W: www.maralingatjarutja.com | E:senioradmin@maralinga.com.auYalata Community ContactsCDEP OfficeT: (08) 8625 6341 | F: (08) 8625 6357Community OfficeT: (08) 8625 6040, Fax 08 8625 6030, Mobile0428256043Land Management Program - Yalata RoadhouseT: (08) 8625 6036W: www.yalata.org | W: http://www.yalata.comWirangu Language ContactTjutjunaku Worka Tjuta Inc.39 McKenzie St, Ceduna SA 5690T: (08) 8625 3210 | F: (08) 8625 2111W: www.mobilelanguageteam.com.au/languages/wiranguCulture (local knowledge):The town’s name derives from an Aboriginal word “Chedoona”, meaning “a resting place” which was next to awaterhole two kilometres from town.Wirangu are coastal people, and their traditional lives are centered on their relationship with the coast. Unlike manyother Aboriginal tribes, Wirangu people considered seafood to be an important part of their diet. Traditional methodsof fishing were used. These included the establishment of “fish traps” in some locations, either natural or placed rockformations which would channel fish into pools on the incoming tide.Sticks and rocks would be used to scare the fish towards a hunter who would spear them. Wirangu people consumeda variety of shellfish, and shell fragments, middens and charred stones from campfires may still be seen today on thecliffs and in the sand hills of the Chain of Bays.W292782

CedunaSome areas in the region, such as Murphy’s Haystacks, are considered important as birthing sites. Mount Hall alsois said to have spiritual significance. Coastal granite outcrops and vegetated dune hummocks are also consideredmeaningful.The Eagle, Wombat and Sea-Lion are important totems for the Wirangu people. One story explains how the Sea Lioncame to be found lying on the rocks, a sight familiar to visitors at Point Labatt. The Sea-Lion (Bulgura) had a brother,the Wombat (Wardu). One day, the Wombat went for a swim, and changed places with the Sea Lion. From that day,the Sea Lion came up onto the land, and may still be seen lying on the beach and rocks of Point Labatt.History:The area has been home to Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years. The Wirangu were one of a number of originalgroups who populated the Nullarbor region. These groups are commonly referred to as the Western Desert Bloc.In the normal seasonal pattern prior to European contact, Aboriginal people from the Western Desert Bloc metat Ooldea Soak, located on the southern fringe of the Great Victoria Desert (about 250 kilometres northwest ofCeduna). As one of the few permanent sources of freshwater in the region, it was an important drought refugemeeting place and ceremonial trade centre (Brockwell et al 1989).Matthew Flinders explored the site on which Ceduna Township is situated. Whaling and sealing activities arerecorded as early as 1805. Whalers and sealers had considerable contact with Aboriginal people in the area and insome instances Aboriginal women were taken by the men, and worked as virtual slaves: building shelters, findingbush foods and water, preparing food, preserving seal skins, etc.South Australia’s first Governor, Hindmarsh, placed little importance on the rights of the Indigenous population.Within the early years of settlement, only a few small areas of land were reserved for Indigenous people. Even so, thecolonisers did seek to protect the rights of the Indigenous population. They did so through a system of protectionismand reserves.Despite early attempts at protectionism, the pattern of violence and dispossession of Indigenous people repeateditself in South Australia.The area’s Aboriginal history, post European settlement features the dispossession of land and forced relocation ofpeople to settlements (often far from traditional lands).Currently the local government area of Ceduna has the highest percentage of Aboriginal people of all localgovernment areas in South Australia, with the population currently standing at 24.1% (860) of the population. Anumber of Aboriginal communities in adjacent unincorporated areas rely on the available services in Ceduna and usethe town as a base for a variety of reasons.Ceduna has a number of Indigenous homelands situated within 20–30 minutes of the town. These are groupings ofIndigenous families who have chosen to live together. Aboriginal communities include: Oak Valley, Maralinga, Yalata,Koonibba and Ceduna.Sources and for more information:http://www.wangkawilurrara.comwww.chainofbays.com.auwww.cedunaregion.com/ceduna/default.htmhttp://www.mobilelanguageteam.com.au/languages/wiranguhttp://www.lca.org.au/aboriginal-ministry-south-australia.htmlhttp://www.aboriginaleducation.sa.edu.au/files/links/Eyre_Peninsula_Aboriginal.pdfW292782

Bulwer (part of the City of Brisbane)The Traditional Owners of the land around present day Brisbane are the Yuggera and Turrbal Aboriginal people.For contact with local groups who may be able to perform Welcome to Country ceremonies, contact:Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal dancersPO box 749Booval QLDPh: (07) 3814 7245 | Fax: (07) 3814 7246E: nunukulyuggera1@yahoo.com.au | W: www.nunukulyuggera-aboriginaldancers.comOther local networks:Corporate Culcha Pty. Ltd.76 Musgrave St Kirra Beach QLD 4225Ph: (07) 5599 4404 | Fax: (07) 5599 4421E: info@corporateculcha.com.au | W: www.corporateculcha.com.auGallang Place Aboriginal & Torres Strait IslanderCounselling Service31 Thomas St, West End (Brisbane) QLD 4101Ph: (07) 3844 2283Inala Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander CommunityResource Association25 Ronson St, Durack QLD 4077Ph: (07) 3372 9768F.A.I.R.A. Aboriginal Corporation37 Balaclava St, Woolloongabba QLD 4102Ph: (07) 3391 4677Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander CommunityHealth Service Brisbane Ltd.55 Annerley Road, Wolloongabba QLD 4102Ph: (07) 3240 8900 | Fax: (07) 3391 6196 | E:AdminReception@aichs.org.auDhinawun Consultancy54 Deebing Creek Road, Yamanto QLD 4305Ph: 07 3288 9363 | E: des@dhinawun.com.auDinjerra Consulting ServicesThe Studio 28 Mt Nebo Road137 Yoorala Street, The Gap QLD 4061Ph: (07) 3300 7004 | E: mdreise@bigpond.net.auDreamtime Kullilla-Arts and Crafts63 Sportsground Street , Redcliffe QLD 4020Ph: (07) 3880 1320 | Fax: (07) 3880 0479 |E: kullilla@dreamtime.auz.netCulture (local knowledge):Brisbane is home to the Yuggera and Turrbal Aboriginal clans and is known to them as ‘Mian-jin’, which means ‘placeshaped like a spike’. Much of the Yuggera land and the Turrbal land overlap. Though the land belonged to the wholetribe, the headmen often spoke of it as theirs. The tribe in general owned the animals and birds on the ground, alsoroots and nests, but certain men and women owned different fruit or flower-trees and shrubs.Both the Yuggera and the Turrbal derived most of their dietary needs from the river’s abundant supply of foodincluded fish, shellfish, crabs and shrimps. The surrounding lands, the river and its tributaries were the source andsupport of life in all its dimensions. Good fishing places became campsites and the focus of group activities.During certain seasons and for some ceremonies the area was used as a gathering place for hundreds of people.Everyday life for the clan consisted of hunting and gathering food, with time for games, and other social and spiritualactivities. Both clans roamed over a large area that encompassed forest, scrub, and the coastal lowlands, whichfeatured swamps, lagoons, and pockets of rainforest. Certain foods were cultivated, such as the ‘kambi’, a long whiteshipworm, encouraged to infest sodden timber piled at the edge of creeks and rivers.W292782

Bulwer (part of the City of Brisbane)History:Pioneering explorer, John Oxley, in 1824, noted a large assemblage of Turrbal people along the present-day site ofCoronation Drive on account of water being present there. Oxley remarked on the hunters he saw near the river atToowong, describing them as ‘the strongest and best-made muscular men’ he has seen.In the 1820s, in the early days of European exploration and settlement, when the settlers lived off the land, theyreported an abundance of fish of all varieties, as well as freshwater mussels found in ‘clear greenish water’ (Gregory,1996:8). Different fish species flourished and signs they were numerous were found in the flowering of local treesand the appearance of certain species of birds. Gregory (1996) reports that blue mountain lorikeets announced thatmullet had arrived, water lilies in bloom signified plentiful mussels, while the silky oak in flower indicated eels wereabout.Colonial botanist Charles Frazer commented on the thinly wooded grassland north-west of Brisbane in 1829. Thisgrassland developed over hundreds of years of Aboriginal ‘fire-stick’ management, involving periodic burnings, toencourage new growth and attract game.Because the areas were rich in food resources, the tribes had time to relax, enjoying games and other social andspiritual activities. Regular corroborees were held at Toowong and West End until the 1860’s; the celebrations andceremonies bringing together hundreds of people.Racial conflict was endemic. By the end of the 1840s the local Yuggera and Turrbal people had been driven to thevery fringes of their territory. “We have seized their country by the right of might and by the right of might the whiteswill continue to possess it,” proclaimed the Moreton Bay Courier in 1847.In 1857 white settlers became concerned at the growing Aboriginal presence in the township and responded bybanning them from entering the town boundary any day after 4.30 p.m. and on Sundays.In March 1904 the Aboriginal Girls Home in South Brisbane was proclaimed a reserve for the benefit of the Aboriginalinhabitants of the state. The home was established around 1899 for the purposes of accommodating Aboriginalwomen and girls going into domestic service.Sources and further reading:www.brisbanecity.com.au/history/aboriginal.htmlwww.brisbaneinformation.com.au/information/brisbane/history-of-brisbanewww.library.uq.edu.au/fryer/brisbane_btw/page6.htmlhttp://rivercityandsenseofplace.blogspot.com/2007/06/riverjourney.htmlConstance Petrie: “Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences of early Queensland” – 1904W292782