Person: Members of Victoria's Indigenous Communities An address to the Parliament of Victoria.

The Speeches   The SPEAKER -- Pursuant to the resolution of the Legislative Assembly on 26 May 2000, I declare this historic sitting open. In doing so, I welcome to the sitting Mr President and members of the Legislative Council as well as members of the indigenous communities of Victoria and representatives from the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. To begin proceedings this morning we will have a traditional Aboriginal welcome from representatives of the Kulin nations. I call on Mr James Wandin, an elder from the Wurundjeri tribe, to begin the proceedings. Mr James WANDIN -- Mr Speaker and honourable members, I come from the oldest living culture in the world, the Aboriginal culture of Australia. I am the ngurangaeta, or head man, of the Wurundjeri tribe. Today we are meeting on my father's land, and I am proud to be the son of my father. The history of the Wurundjeri people has been recorded by many, describing in detail the colonial dispossession and oppression and, despite these ravages, how our ancestors maintained their attachment to their land, their spiritual and cultural ties to their land, and how we continue to reassert our rightful place as traditional owners and custodians of our land. The tenacity of our people in the struggle to survive is matched by archaeological evidence of the long-term occupation of the area. The Keilor site located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne has revealed stone tools buried in an ancient river terrace dating to at least 16,000 and possibly as much as 40,000 years ago. Our people were a hunting-and-gathering people who moved from their camp sites in response to the seasonal availability of resources. Wetlands of the lower Yarra River known as the Birrarung were a rich source of water birds, fish and plant foods, particularly in the summer. Dispossession of our people also went hand in hand with major destruction of their cultural setting. Forested areas to the north of Melbourne were cleared extensively last century to supply timber for Melbourne and to allow for the establishment of agricultural fields. Trees were cleared; swamps were drained; creek channels were altered; and the habitats for most of their traditional resources were destroyed. The complex mosaic of resource zones that had been used by hundreds of generations of Wurundjeri were replaced by an ever-expanding maze of cobblestone streets lined with factories, shops and houses. Among the trees and along many creek banks now subsumed by Melbourne was a complex array of camp sites, resource extraction sites, ceremonial sites, sacred sites and a wide range of other places imbued with deep spiritual meaning to the Wurundjeri. Many of these sites are known: ceremonial corroboree grounds once existed at Parliament Hill and close to Merri Creek near Pentridge jail, and a camp site once existed at the site of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground. Reconciliation between Australia's Aboriginal and immigrant communities is considered to be a vital component of Australia's aspirations for the future. As we all know, in 1991, with the unanimous support of Parliament, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was established. In the 10-year process justice and equality has been the aim of this work, with cross-cultural education and awareness the main mechanisms. We believe some of the Australian people are committed to the process of reconciliation. Some are willing to learn about Aboriginal people and their culture and to gain a better understanding and others are using this process to divide the nation. The walk across the bridge in Sydney signifies that many Australians want reconciliation in some form or another, but what about those who don't? The road is long, with many corners, straight lines with no horizon and twisted tracks. But the footprints are there on the land, footprints that belonged to our ancestors who have left their mark on the land for us to follow. For those of us who believe in reconciliation, the real journey has begun. We have now turned the second corner. Because of people's involvement in the consultation process, we no longer have a draft document; we have a national document for reconciliation. The next part of the journey is how to continue to carry out the contents of this document. Will there be a big celebration and nothing more? We hope not. The document for reconciliation should not be shelved to gather dust but become a practical and living resource for social justice. We are sorry for the pain and suffering of our ancestors, and we will never forget them. We need to heal and strengthen ourselves to continue on with their struggle for equality and justice for Aboriginal people. We as the Wurundjeri people urge the Victorian government not to lose sight of this significant change to history. Otherwise we may never have cultural harmony. To achieve this will not be easy, and we all recognise that. Positive action and your support will help us to find the necessary answers along the way to reforms compatible and acceptable to all. Times are changing. You the Victorian government have invited and welcomed us to your place, and we as the traditional owners and custodians of this land give back to you our welcome. Wominjeka yearmenn koondee-bik Wurundjeri-Ballak, which simply means, 'Welcome to the land of the Wurundjeri people'. (Honourable members applauding.) The SPEAKER -- I now welcome Carolyn Briggs, a Boonerwurung elder, and invite her to address the chamber on behalf of the Boonerwurung people. Carolyn BRIGGS -- To the Chair and to honourable members: Womin Jeka mirambeek beek. Boonerwurung Nairm derp Bordupren uther willam. Welcome to my country, the land of the great bay of the Boonerwurung people, our beautiful home. On behalf of the Boonerwurung, a clan of the greater Kulin nations, I welcome you to our land. I would like to tell you a short story by way of welcoming you today. Many years ago this land that we now call Melbourne extended right out to the ocean. Port Phillip Bay was then a large flat plain where Boonerwurung hunted kangaroos and cultivated their yam daisy. But one day there came a time of chaos and crises. The Boonerwurung and the other Kulin nations were in conflict. They argued and fought. They neglected their children. They neglected their land. The native yam was neglected. The animals were overkilled but not always eaten. The fish were caught during their spawning season. As this chaos grew the sea became angry and began to rise until it covered their plain and threatened to flood the whole of their country. The people went to Bunjil, their creator and spiritual leader. They asked Bunjil to stop the sea from rising. Bunjil told his people that they would have to change their ways if they wanted to save their land. The people thought about what they had been doing and made a promise to follow Bunjil. Bunjil walked out to the sea, raised his spear and directed the sea to stop rising. Bunjil then made be Boonerwurung promise that they would respect the laws. The place the Kulin then chose to meet as a means of resolving these differences is where this Parliament is now located. The Kulin nations met here regularly for many thousands of years. They debated issues of great importance to the nation; they celebrated, they danced. For my great grandmother it was the strength of these beliefs and the belief that people could work together that helped her survive the crises our people faced when Europeans invaded her country over 160 years ago. My great grandmother was known by her European name, Louisa Briggs. When Louisa was a young girl she went on a journey with her mother, aunt and grandmother to what is now called Point Nepean. This is a special place with a special significance for the Boonerwurung women. While they were there they were kidnapped by sealers and taken to an isolated island in Bass Strait. There they were put to work for the sealers. But at the age of 18 she took a husband and returned to her country in a small open boat. When she returned to her country she searched for her people, but they were no longer there. Louisa eventually found some of her people at the Correnderk reserve and she settled down to live there. She worked at the reserve as a matron. She became a strong political activist and her family were again forced to move because of their strong stand on land rights. They were banned from the reserve. She died in the 1920s at a very old age, but in bridging the time between the invasion of her country and the dispossession of her people she provided the cultural link, ensuring that her heritage continued to live. She continued to dream and talk about her country. Louisa fought oppression, racism and political inequality. Today, as we consider the act of reconciliation I hope that her story will inspire not only her descendants but that in the spirit of reconciliation it will provide a model of strength that can inspire all Australians. Today Melbourne is the great multicultural city of the world and this special place continues to carry forward the spirit of our tradition. This land will always be protected by the creator, Bunjil, who travels as an eagle, and by Waarn, who protects the waterways and travels as a crow. Bunjil taught the Boonerwurung to always welcome guests, but he always required the Boonerwurung to ask all visitors to make two promises: to obey the laws of Bunjil and not to harm the children or the land of Bunjil. As the spirit of my ancestors lives, let the wisdom and the spirit of generosity which Bunjil taught us influence the decision made in this meeting place. Womin Jeka mirambeek beek. Boonerwurung Nairm derp Bordupren uther willam. (Honourable members applauding.) Hansard Transcript Wednesday, 31 May 2000