Celebrating the resilience and cultural heritage of Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Peoples
An art trail with a focus on celebrating the resilience and vast cultural heritage of Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Peoples is set to feature along the Dandenong Creek corridor.
Traditional Owners and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists will co-create seven place-based public artworks along the Dandenong Creek Trail which together will form the ‘Dandenong Creek Arts Trail’.
The arts trail will increase use and appreciation of the Dandenong Creek Trail, creating a regional attraction that provides health and wellbeing benefits to all users. As determined by Traditional Owners the trail can be added to and built upon over time, with the addition of interpretive and/or language place-name signage installed on site; by activating Country with regular cultural celebrations and practices; and through the creation of a Dandenong Creek Arts Trail website that attracts tourism and raises cultural awareness for a broad audience.
Overall, the project will celebrate Traditional Owners enduring Connection to Country and support the process of Traditional Owners self-determination relating to the custodianship of the Dandenong Creek.
Themes and Local Areas
| Primary Theme: | Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Victorians |
| Other Themes: | Water Supply and Use, Waterways, Wetlands, Groundwater, Native Vegetation, Native Animals, Land Use, Soil Health, Sustainable Agriculture, Coasts, Estuaries, Marine Environments, Communities, Climate Change |
| Primary Local Area: | Urban Melbourne |
| Other Local Areas: | Casey, Cardinia & Baw Baw, Yarra Ranges & Nillumbik, Port Phillip Bay |
| Project location: | Lands and Waters of the Dandenong Creek corridor through Bunurong Country and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country. |
| Scale of the project: | Local – multiple sites across the Dandenong Creek catchment |
| New or continuing work: | Continuing – building on previous work |
Project partners
| Lead organisation: | City of Greater Dandenong (on behalf of partners) |
| Key partners: | Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Dandenong and Districts Aborigines Cooperative, City of Casey, City of Knox, Maroondah City Council, Whitehorse City Council, Monash City Council, Shire of Yarra Ranges, Inspiro Community Health, Parks Victoria, Living Links, RMIT University, Local Aboriginal Networks and Gathering Places, Contemporary Art and Social Transformation RMIT, Living Links, Melbourne Water |
| Registered Aboriginal Party/s relevant to the project or its area: | Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation |
Investment opportunities
| Opportunities for investors within this project start from: | $$ (Tens of thousands of dollars) |
| Estimated scale of investment for full project implementation: | $$$ (Hundreds of thousands of dollars) |
| Estimated timeframe for full project implementation: | 1-2 years |
Contribution toward targets
| Primary Regional Catchment Strategy target: | Traditional Owners as the voice for waterways and Country – Traditional Owners are the strong and respected voice for Country, with fundamental roles and influence in planning, decision making and action across the region in land, biodiversity and water management. The value of traditional ecological knowledge held by the region’s Traditional Owners is embraced and influential in modern decisions and practices. |
| Relevant Biodiversity 2037 goal: | Engage Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Victorians to include Aboriginal values and knowledge in the project |
| Relevant National Landcare Program priority: | – |
More information
https://livinglinks.com.au/a-new-aboriginal-arts-trail-for-dandenong-creek/
https://www.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au/works-and-projects/dandenong-creek-art-trail
