Boonea Yallock cultural immersion tour

Welcome to Country - Wadawurrung Country

 

The weather was finally a truly autumnal day. Crisp and cool, dew on the ground and on the leaves, clear skies, with the sun gently warming our backs.

 

We stood quietly as the white smoke of the eucalyptus gently billowed and we respectfully past the smoke over ourselves as we were Welcomed to Country.

We met last Sunday on the ridge of the upper banks of the Barre Warre Yulluk (Barwon River) to learn from Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporations' Cultural Strengthening Team Ngarrwa (knowledge) Officer Ash Skinner.

Ash led the tour sharing the cultural significance and importance of the Barwon River through a Wadawurrung lens and an environmental lens. 

Ash shared some of the sights and stories that are still told and shared through the landscape from the mountains (Barre) to the ocean (Warre) as we wandered down towards Boonea Yallock (the place to catch eels also known as Buckleys Falls).

Seamlessly, Ash wove into the tour the connection between the dreaming, water and fire, plants and their adaptations, ways of living pre-colonisation, impacts post-colonisation, caring for country and going forward. 

Volunteers who attended shared their thoughts.

"This was just such an amazing experience to be a part of. The knowledge and language shared by Ash, the connection to country through stories was just awesome," said one participant.

"I really appreciated the depth of knowledge Ash had, in all sorts of areas, and more importantly how he shared it. Very diplomatic when appropriate but didn't shy away from the truth of the past and the present. I think providing CFA members with an appreciation of the First Nations' different perspective of 'country' is valuable," said another.

This year's theme for National Reconciliation Week, ‘Bridging Now to Next’, calls on all Australians to step forward together, to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us. 

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from Wadawurrung and learn together ways we as CFA members can do our part to learn, protect, preserve and celebrate Aboriginal culture.

Learn more about National Reconciliation Week.

The next cultural immersion tour will be held with Gunditjmara in Districts 4 and 5.

On 28 June 2025 we are returning to Budj Bim post fires in the landscape during this fire season, starting at 11am for a two-hour tour of this World Heritage listed Cultural Landscape. You will experience this unique place walking around and observing artefacts and landscapes that are rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage, holding social, spiritual and ceremonial significance.   

To express interest to attend the tour please fill in your details in the following form: https://forms.office.com/r/qdUw19Sr5d

If you have any questions, please call or email Emma Taunt: e.taunt@cfa.vic.gov.au or 0418 621 761.

 

Submitted by	Emma Taunt