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Walking Country
09.07.24
On a crisp Tuesday morning last month, we brought our community of clients and industry friends together for a guided walking tour along the traditional lands of the Birrarung to Dights Falls in Abbotsford, Victoria. Led by our enthusiastic guides from Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, the walk traversed significant Indigenous Australian, settler, natural and contemporary landmarks, revealing the traditional rhythms and relationships between people and place.
Photography by Michael Pham.
Gathering at Abbotsford Convent.
Led by our spirited guides, the walk traversed significant Indigenous, settler, natural and contemporary landmarks, revealing the traditional rhythms and relationships between people and place.
Acknowledgement of Country.
Keen participants chewing sheoak needles, used by Indigenous people to reduce thirst by increasing saliva production.
Walking tour guide picking sheoak needles.
Our guides’ knowledge, humour and enthusiasm allowed the group to connect with the landscape’s history and significance – particularly the final landmark of Dights Falls, a traditional meeting place, vital food source, and site of cultural and spiritual strength for the Wurundjeri people. The falls are also a reminder of the historical interactions between Indigenous people and European settlers. The construction of the first weir at Dights Falls in the 1840s marked the beginning of significant changes to the natural landscape, significantly impacting traditional Indigenous living practices.
Walking along the banks of the Birrarung.
Learning about the medicinal properties of Kangaroo Apple.
Learning about the origins of the Birrarung, or ‘Yarra’ River, derived from ‘Yarro Yarro’ meaning ‘flowing water.’
Our guides’ knowledge, humour and enthusiasm allowed the group to connect with the landscape’s history and significance – particularly the final landmark of Dights Falls, a traditional meeting place, vital food source, and site of cultural and spiritual strength for the Wurundjeri people.
Identifying Indigenous scar trees, the result of bark removal for various purposes.
Discussing Dreamtime stories and traditional songlines.
Visiting this significant place, just 10 minutes from NHO, reminded us of the value in tuning in to our surroundings, connecting with new perspectives and recognising Indigenous peoples’ enduring connection to the land. As we celebrate NAIDOC Week (07-14 July), we encourage you to consider organising a tour with your own colleagues and communities as a cultural learning initiative and mark of ongoing and meaningful reconciliation.
In addition to Dights Falls, tours are also run by Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation in Fitzroy and the Yarra Ranges. Learn more here. In addition to educational tours, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation offers services in Cultural Heritage, Natural Resource Management, Cultural Practices for Events, Cultural Consultations, Language and Naming, Cross-Cultural Awareness Training and Research. Explore the services here.
Learning about possum pelt cloaks.
Possum pelt.
Discussing traditional hunting and gathering.
Dights Falls, Abbotsford.
Walking tour guides.