When colonists arrived to set up the city of Melbourne, Bunurong people who had lived on the land for tens of thousands of years had their world upended."It'd be the equivalent today of a giant spaceship pulling up over the city," Bunurong man Dan Turnbull said.The settlement of Melbourne began in 1835, within months of John Pascoe Fawkner's ship The Enterprise arriving on August 29.
Now, 185 years after the formal founding of Melbourne, the Wurundjeri and Bunurong people have reasserted their status as traditional owners over the heart of what is now a sprawling city home to more than five million people. The new line means both traditional owner groups, who already held responsibility over large tracts of land, will have their recognised land expanded.
Mr Turnbull, who is the CEO of the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, said his people were "deeply excited" by the outcome, which required concessions from both traditional owner groups. The Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, which has also agreed to the boundaries, declined to comment.Trying to resolve the question of where the boundary should be drawn was a task fraught with complexity.
In outlining the boundary, the council acknowledged how the forces of colonisation had warped and bent the boundaries. In particular, the diaries and recollections that quoted two prominent Aboriginal leaders during the early years of colonisation — Bunurong elder Derrimut, and Wurundjeri elder William Barak.The council found Wurundjeri land was largely defined by the Birrarung , including country surrounding waterways which flowed into the freshwater Birrarung.
Mr Carter said it was important to acknowledge the line required in today's Australia to manage land affairs did not reflect the historical boundaries, which were "more blurred because they're the places that bring us together, make us stronger". "And I feel really positive about that, because it's an important value for us to instill in future generations on their governance."For the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, the new boundary means its responsibilities will increase after July 1, when they will take on formal responsibility for protecting cultural heritage over the vast tract of land.
What white settlers also did in Melbourne & elsewhere was to destroy the very reason the site was chosen, fresh water. Within 5 yrs in Sydney Cove settlers had so fouled the Tank Stream it was undrinkable. In Melbourne they blasted a rock barrage separating fresh from salt water
Why? Is it really that important? Get a life!
Melbourne is an ' evil majic place ' Death from COVID19Vaccine denial by DanielAndrewsMP 'LOCKDOWN - CURFEW Homocidal maniac ' 800+ cases to answer criminal INDICTMENT. WhoTF! ,is running the joint ,is what Australia wonders? 'JAB ,NOT YAB' INOCULATE OR WE EXTERMINATE.