"This ancient story connects
the past to the present."
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"It was the responsibility of my great, great, great grandfather to look after the country surrounding
the Birrarung from its source at Mt. Baw Baw
to the area we know as Heidelberg today.
Currently I, along with some family members are looking after a much smaller tract of the Birrarung,
it gives me great joy to know that I am continuing the endless adaption and evolution of my culture.
We have suffered many interruptions, obstructions, and injustices, yet as the river will always flow,
so do my people.
We have our ancient stories and songs,
and we have our modified and contemporary ways,
these will guide the future generations
that are yet to come."
Brooke Wandin, 2018
Our Projects
and what we have achieved so far.
Click the links below or see the 'Our Projects' pages
in the main menu:
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We have developed and enacted the Coranderrk Aboriginal Station Strategic Plan 2018 - 2028.
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We are 95% of the way towards enacting our Property Management Plan 2016 for the regeneration of Coranderrk's productive land and protection of conservation areas.
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We have taken the first strides in a 5-year River Restoration Project.
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We have completed historical and archaeological investigations, a site Conservation Management Plan and building renovations.
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We have investigated the Plants of Coranderrk and are starting exciting new ventures including the Coranderrk Bush Food Garden and Orchard.
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We are proud to host one of the seven installations that make up the significant art work untitled (seven monuments).
We could not have come so far without our friends.
Today
Always here, always will be -
our story continues
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In 1999, 200 acres or approximately 80 hectares of the Coranderrk Aboriginal Station was purchased by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC). It was subsequently vested in Wandoon Estate Aboriginal Corporation (WEAC) and became the residence of Traditional Owners, members of the Wandin family.
We are descendants of a Woiwurrung/ Wurundjeri man, Bebejan, who was a Ngurungaeta (headman, pronounced ung-uh-rung-eye-tuh) of the Wurundjeri people. Bebejan was present at John Batman’s ‘treaty’ signing in 1835. The Wandins are Bebejan's descendants through his daughter Annie Borate (Boorat), then her son Robert Wandin (Wandoon).
Coranderrk is of enormous significance to Wurundjeri and other Kulin people, as it is situated on Wurundjeri country, at the site of the original Coranderrk Aboriginal Station village near the confluence of Birrarung and Coranderrk Creek. It has the only surviving building from that time – the original manager’s residence.
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Today Coranderrk is a private residence and working cattle farm, open to visitors by appointment, invitation and for volunteer and special events. It is being re-established through activities that reflect its past, for those who value the place, for the place itself, and to honor the vision, courage and strength of the people who lived at Coranderrk
We do not intend to become a 'open farm' or themed tourism destination, however we are working towards an expanded visitor program showcasing the property and its produce, Coranderrk's story and Wurundjeri culture.
Coranderrk – Caring for Country in a modern context
OUR VISION
Nurturing Our land. Strengthening Our Culture
yalingbuth yalingbu yirramboi
yesterday today tomorrow
Coranderrk remains an important symbol of Aboriginal resilience and strength.
It is as important today as it was in the 19th century, as so many similar challenges remain.
We want Coranderrk to be a safe place for people to connect -
connecting to each other, connecting to the land and reconnecting Aboriginal Australians.
What we do at Coranderrk today is (re)conciliation in practice.
Coranderrk is also a demonstration place, where tackling the challenges of climate change
and sustainable development are enhanced by Aboriginal connection to Country.
We will work to become self-sufficient once more, and what we do at Coranderrk will enable us to move from grant-based financing toward economic independence on Aboriginal terms.
We will show the country that it can be done ‘the Aboriginal way’.
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Our culture was always dynamic and adaptable and our ‘modern Aboriginal way’ blends traditional and modern knowledge and practice.
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Respecting and working with the land means more than ‘sustainable production’. It means ensuring sufficient land is set aside and cared for as wildlife habitat, particularly for the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater and Lowland Leadbeater's Possum.
It means caring for our waterways, and regenerating our farmland by minimising chemical use and practicing sustainable soil, pasture and stock management.
It means understanding which native plants and animals remain on the property, reintroducing some species that have been lost, learning about their traditional uses, and re-employing traditional land management practices such as Indigenous burning.
Over time, we will begin to identify and report what is happening at Coranderrk through the prism of the Wurundjeri six-season calendar. And of course, we will increasingly use Woiwurrung language where we can; with language also comes a different knowledge of our country and ourselves.
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With all we do we will honour and tell the story of our ancestors and our culture.
We believe our stories will help non-Indigenous Australians become aware of and better understand our culture, and help us move into a positive future together.