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SERVICES

As Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, we live by Bundjil’s lore to care for Country and all things living as our Ancestors have always done. Our Dja (Country), is more than a place. Our coastal cliffs, wetlands, grassy and volcanic plains, and people were all formed by Bundjil and our Ancestor spirits who continue to live in the land, water and sky. Country is filled with relations speaking language, sharing stories and following lore. We are determined to ensure our cultural authority for making decisions on looking after our Country is recognised and respected. We want to see cultural knowledge as the basis for this management of Country knowing this will help heal our Country and people, for us and for the benefit of everyone living on, visiting and enjoying Wadawurrung Country.

This organisation, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC), was registered in 1998 and appointed in May 2009 as a Registered Aboriginal Party with statutory rights and under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006. This means we are the legally recognised corporation for working with as Custodians, decision makers and knowledge holders for looking after our cultural heritage and Country.

We continue to be on Country, performing ceremonies, dancing and singing in language. We are educating the broader community and retelling the stories of history in our Country to provide a richer understanding of how important our people have been and continue to be in the formation and functioning of modern-day Victoria.

 

We offer a variety of services on Wadawurrung Country.

Cultural Heritage Services facilitate the cultural heritage approvals for the development of infrastructure on Wadawurrung Country. We also produce our own Cultural Values Assessments (CVAs).

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Services we provide:

  • Cultural Heritage Assessments

  • Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) related business

  • Coordinate field staff for groundworks

  • Organise meetings between sponsors and the RAP

  • Landscaping and Plant Selection

  • Construction Methodology

  • Liaise with Government Departments on behalf of Developers

  • Negotiate Public Open Space Requirements

  • Permit Applications

  • Provide Statutory Advice on Legislative Requirements for Local Government

  • Cultural Heritage Agreements

  • Land Management Consultancy with Catchment Authorities and Local Government Departments

  • Salvage and Repatriation of Ancestral Remains and Artefacts

  • Advice on the Preservation of Aboriginal Culture

  • Cultural Heritage Awareness Inductions

  • Provide Employment for Aboriginal Community Members

  • Cultural Values Assessments

A Welcome to Country is a traditional custom observed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The purpose of a Welcome to Country is to Welcome people onto the Country where an event or gathering is taking place. Traditionally this would be an opportunity to teach newcomers of any rules or expectations of the Traditional Owners. A Welcome to Country can be held with or without an accompanying Smoking Ceremony, Traditional Dance and/or Didgeridoo performance. A Smoking Ceremony is conducted to clear the air and welcome people to our Country, and also offer healing and connection Country and land.

While the Didgeridoo is not a traditional instrument on Wadawurrung Country, we recognise its importance to many First Nations people. We offer Digeridoo performances as an accompanying service to our Welcome to Country ceremonies.

 

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Cultural Education sessions include a Welcome to Country and are designed for groups of up to 30 people.

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Cultural Education Sessions can be booked for durations of between 1 and 6 hours across set locations on Wadawurrung Country divided into the following areas:

  • Djilang / Geelong

  • Ballawiyn / The Bellarine

  • The Surf Coast and Great Ocean Road

  • Ballaarat / Ballarat

 

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Corporate Education includes Cultural Awareness, Customised Training and On Country Cultural Immersion Experiences.

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Corporate Education Services are for businesses, groups, and government agencies that require customised cultural awareness training and on Country cultural immersion experiences to support their organisational, operational and strategic needs. This type of booking involves an initial discovery call and /or consultation to discuss your needs – and the development of a customised training experience.

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Cultural Consultation includes advice and guidance about Language, Arts and Design, Policy Development, Cultural Advice, and Document Review.

 

Please note our Languages Services Team is currently working through a large volume of requests and is not currently available for new requests. Language Services will reopen for new requests at the start of the 2024/25 financial year.

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As the Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) on Wadawurrung Country, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) is the only recognised body that can offer Traditional Owner Cultural advice on Wadawurrung Country. 

 

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