Interesting fact: Greater Geelong is home to the largest First Nations community in Victoria.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners have been caring for Djilang (the Wadawurrung name for Geelong) for such a long time and their culture and history in this region runs deep.
Council is committed to facilitating stronger awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan and other strategies.
We have a long and respectful partnership with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and other First Nations communities.
For example, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners have been integral co-design partners in the design of Wurriki Nyal (meaning ‘to speak and talk together’), our new Civic Precinct on Mercer Street.
The building showcases our proud First Nations heritage following extensive consultation through multiple art installations including a five storey piece from Wadawurrung artist Kait Jame, the Gayoonpanyoon Goopma yarning circle and other cultural features.
One of the most striking features is a culturally significant scarred tree in the outdoor community space that had been in a fragile and deteriorating state.
Scarred trees are named for the long scars in their trunks left behind from when First Nations People have traditionally removed bark for a variety of purposes, including canoe making.
Standing before it, it is extraordinary to think that this tree is believed to predate European Settlement of the Geelong region.
At the request of Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, the scarred tree has been conserved and preserved over six months and moved to Wurriki Nyal, serving as the building’s centrepiece and really, its heart.
It is a tremendous honour to have it bear witness to the next chapter of our community’s civic history at Wurriki Nyal.
We thank Wadawurrung Traditional Owners for sharing this precious part of their history with the people of Geelong.
Incorporating First Nations culture into our buildings continues with council approving First Nations names for two more facilities at our August meeting, with permission from Traditional Owners.
The Boronggook Drysdale Library reflects the Wadawarrung name for the immediate Drysdale locality and refers to turf.
The other facility whose name was unanimously voted for was the Poa Banyul Mount Duneed Community Hub.
Pronounced ‘Poah-Banyool’, Poa Banyal translates to ‘Grassy Hill’ and is the third of the City’s new child and family centres to use the local Wadawurrung language in their name.
We have a lot to learn about the region’s history and Wadawurrung culture that thrives to this day.
If integrating Wadawurrung language and culture into our buildings and facilities can help that process in even a small way, then it is a positive thing for the whole community.
