Experiences of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples during Victoria's colonisation

This research paper is about the experiences of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation as the first peoples of Naarm/Melbourne. It touches on the suburb I now call home, Northcote, as the place where Australia's first attempt at "treaty" was signed.

I acknowledge the profound spiritual connection of the Kulin Nation to their ancestral creator, Bunjil, the wedge-tail eagle spirit. Bunjil created the Kulin people, the land, all living things and the Birrarung (Yarra River) as part of the Dreaming songline. Their rich culture and ancestral knowledge, including the seasonal hunting and trapping of eels, existed long before colonisation and attempts to erase them from history (First Australians, 2008).

Modern-day Melbourne is the traditional meeting ground for five language groups of the Kulin Nation, including the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, Boonwurrung, Wathawurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung peoples. The displacement of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples is often overlooked in today’s vibrant Melbourne city (Foley, 2020).

In the early years of British colonisation, attempts at settlement in Sorento and Portland failed, and over 200 Aboriginal people were tragically massacred within the first decade (University of Newcastle, 2019). Eventually, the abandoned settlements were relocated to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania).?

In 1835, John Batman arrived from Tasmania and controversially "purchased" around 243,000 hectares of land from local Aboriginal people. However, the validity of Batman's treaty is questioned due to his involvement in the killings of Tasmanian Aboriginal people during the Black War of 1830 (Deadly Story, 2023). However, the treaty was later declared void as the land was proclaimed to be Crown land belonging to the colonial government.?

Protection era

In 1839, the British government established an Aboriginal Protectorate in Victoria with the aim of "civilising" Aboriginal residents. William Thomas, the Assistant Protector, advocated for Aboriginal self-determination, land rights, and law reform, despite facing criticism for his inability to protect and support the Aboriginal population.

The Gold Rush in 1851 resulted in a massive influx of non-Aboriginal settlers, causing a significant decline in the Aboriginal population. Withing 30 years of settlement, Victoria’s Aboriginal population decreased from 60,000 to 2,000, and settlers believe the Aboriginal population will soon be wiped out (First Australians, 2008).

In 1863, the surviving members of the Woiwurrung, Bunurong and Taungurung tribes compromise and make a radical decision to claim a portion of land as their own and establish Coranderrk in Melbourne’s north-east (First Australians, 2008). It was a successful Aboriginal enterprise, selling hops, wheat and crafts until the 1870s and 1880s when further controls, such as the ‘Half-caste Act’ disrupted Aboriginal lives. Coranderrk residents sent out a petition protesting these controls, known as the Coranderrk Petition.?

The Aboriginal Protection Act of 1869 had further control over Aboriginal Victorians' lives and granted the Board for the Protection of Aborigines the power to determine where the Kulin people could live and work, and to remove their children if deemed neglected.

Stolen Generation

The 'Half-caste' Act of 1886 aimed to assimilate individuals of mixed descent into the Australian population, resulting in the breakup of Koorie communities across Victoria. The Act undermined Aboriginal identity, as individuals chose to deny their dependents' origins and raise their children without the knowledge of their Aboriginal ancestry, resulting in the formation of the Stolen Generation.

In 1932, William Cooper, a Victorian Yorta-Yorta man, and others established the Australian Aborigines' League, advocating for citizenship rights. They organised a National Day of Mourning on Australia Day, inspiring politically active organisations across Australia.?

The 1967 Referendum marked a significant turning point, with an overwhelming majority of votes supporting Commonwealth power to legislate on behalf of all Aboriginal people and include them in the census.

Experiences of local people and groups

Jaga Jaga, an Aboriginal leader involved in the Tanderrum Treaty, engaged in guerrilla skirmishes with John Batman's party, resisting attempts to remove Aborigines by appropriating cattle and burning fields.

Derrimut, a Boonwurrung headman, played a vital role in warning early European settlers of an impending attack by up-country tribes. He fought to protect Boonwurrung rights, but was forced to join other Aboriginal communities at Coranderrk Mission. Disheartened, Derrimut passed away at the Melbourne Benevolent Asylum.

Simon Wonga, leader of the Wurundjeri clan, petitioned for an Aboriginal-governed plot of land, which became Coranderrk. He envisioned collaboration between Aboriginal leaders and white settlers and, along with Reverend John Green, established a school for Aboriginal children. Wonga served as their undisputed leader at Coranderrk.

William Barak, a prominent Woiwurrung Ngurungaeta clan leader and artist, succeeded Wonga. He played a crucial role in establishing Coranderrk, and embraced Christianity at the mission school. Barak's legacy includes a detailed record of his Countrymen before the arrival of white settlers. His image is incorporated into the design of the Swanston Square apartment building in Melbourne.

Five Aboriginal freedom fighters from Tasmania were tried for the murder of two whalers, in a resistance to white occupation. Maulboyheener and Tunnerminnerwait were convicted and publicly hanged at Gallows Hill, marking Melbourne's first public execution. The trial denied them the ability to provide evidence or call Aboriginal witnesses due to their exclusion from taking the Christian oath. A Frontier War memorial at RMIT now honors their memory.

Revival and recent examples of recognition and reconciliation

Despite a traumatic past, the Kulin Nations have experienced a remarkable revival through their tireless efforts for social justice, legal reform, representation and self-governance. With a population that has grown from 300 to nearly 30,000 (First Australians, 2008), Aboriginal Victorians are making significant contributions across various fields, including academia, health, media, music, art, sports, and social services. The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people have two notable stories of recognition and reconciliation.

Since 2013, the Kulin clans in Victoria have revived the Tanderrum ritual, gathering the five clans in Federation Square to "Aboriginalise" this significant people place (Dempster, 2007). Tanderrum now takes place near the original meeting place of the Kulin Nations, where they historically came together for marriage, trade, dispute resolution, ceremonies, dance, and storytelling.

Another crucial meeting place for the Kulin Nations is Fitzroy and Collingwood in Melbourne. In 2001, the community championed the Koorie Heritage Trail, featuring a walking map and building plaques explaining the social and political significance of key structures. Recently, in 2021, an augmented reality (AR) app has enhanced these initiatives, offering interactive and immersive experiences that use oral, symphonic and visual elements to intertwine the land of Fitzroy with the narratives of its First Peoples (Fiore, 2021).?

These initiatives, and more, have been lauded for fostering greater understanding and appreciation of Koorie peoples, culture and history in present-day Melbourne.

References

Deadly Story. (Retrieved July 5, 2023). The Batman ‘treaty’ is signed. https://deadlystory.com/page/culture/history/Batman_treaty

Dempster, E. (2007). Welcome to Country: Performing Rights and the Pedagogy of Place. About Performance. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.922711404044557

Dunstan, J. (2021). Melbourne's birth destroyed Bunurong and Wurundjeri boundaries. 185 years on, they've been redrawn. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-26/melbourne-aboriginal-traditional-owners-bunurong-wurundjeri/100236480

Ellender, I. & Christiansen, P. (2001). People of the Merri Merri: the Wurundjeri in colonial days. Merri Creek Management Committee.

Fiore, B. (2021). Melbourne’s Indigenous augmented reality app. Atlas of the future. https://atlasofthefuture.org/project/yalinguth/

First Australians. (2008). Episode 3: Freedom for our Lifetime. SBS. https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/11721795822

Foley, A. V. (2020). The art of place-making on Wurundjeri Country today. Western Sydney University Thesis Collection. https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:63343/

University of Newcastle. (2019). Colonial Frontier Massacres in Australia, 1788-1930. https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/map.php

Wurundjeri. (2023, May 7). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wurundjeri