Looking for Other Information and Resources?
Do you want to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures? Here are some ideas to get you started. If you hover your cursor over the names in bold, you can click through.
Find out on whose traditional land you live, work and play and other lands in the colony of Victoria through the Maggolee website
Learn about local Aboriginal post-colonial history and local Aboriginal culture by walking the Wurundjeri trail walks at Warrandyte, Christmas Hills and in Chandler Reserve Kew
Learn about Aboriginal history and culture in the Naarm (Melbourne) area and more broadly by attending the Koorie Heritage Trust (see more below) and Bunjilaka Museum.
Read about the true history of the colonial occupation including first contacts. A few key works are:
Inga Clendinnen Dancing with Strangers
Henry Reynolds (our premier historian of colonial occupation) Truth-telling
David Marr’s recent book Killing for Country
Voices of Aboriginal Women of Victoria,1867- 1926, being letters from those in the Tidal River “reserve” in Gippsland seeking help from authorities – a telling and affecting account of colonial heartlessness under assimilationist policies and laws.
Read books written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors. Suggested starting points can be found on The Guardian’s Five Must Read Books list, The Culture Trip’s 7 Must Read Books, or on the Australia/New Zealand LitLovers Blog.
Follow media from an Aboriginal perspective by tuning into SBS NITV or read the Koorie Mail, National Indigenous Times and IndigenousX for news, current affairs and entertainment from an Aboriginal perspective
Visit the Victorian Treaty Advancement Committee website to learn more about the ongoing Victorian Treaty process.
Explore a range of Healing Foundation resources to learn about Stolen Generations, including resources on intergenerational trauma
Appreciate dance by watching a performance by Bangarra and the Djirri Djirri
Wurundjeri women’s dance group
Listen to Aboriginal musicians. Check out the Wikipedia page for Aboriginal musicians, and take a look at the Songlines website. You can also directly support Aboriginal music labels such as Skinny Fish, Wantok Musik, CAAMA Music and Deadly Records. Explore the Black Australia playlist on Spotify to get a broad taste of great Aboriginal musicians.
Here are details of some websites and places
A website created by Yarra City Council as a free online resource to highlight some key events in the settlement of Melbourne / Yarra. It includes videos, educational resources and information on Wurundjeri history and significant sites.
The City of Yarra also have a free history resource called Connecting with the Aboriginal History of Yarra: A Teachers’ Resource. Developed with support from local schools, the Wurundjeri Council and other local Elders it was written for students in years 3-10, and focuses on cross-curriculum priorities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories.
It includes suggestions for excursions to sites of historical significance in Yarra and beyond.
aboriginalhistoryofyarra.com.au The Aboriginal History of Yarra | Wurundjeri-willam – Kulin Nation
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) is Australia’s only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. They have a collection of over 1 million items encompassing films, photography, audio recordings, artworks, printed and other education and resource materials.
aiatsis.gov.au Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (aiatsis.gov.au)
The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is a significant cultural site for the Kulin Nation. A First Peoples guide runs tours throughout the year on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 11am. The tours run for 1hr 30mins and cost from $20 for children to $40 for adults. Tours provide insight into the rich history and thriving culture of the First Peoples of Australia. Significant native plants within the Gardens are identified and information given on Aboriginal plant uses, customs and ongoing connection to Country.
rbg.vic.gov.au Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (rbg.vic.gov.au)
Common Ground is a First Nations not-for-profit working to shape a society that centres First Nations people by amplifying knowledge, cultures and stories. They launched in 2019 with a website bringing together First Nations knowledge, cultures and stories. And have evolved as a place of storytelling and education, creating opportunities for First Nations people to be authors on their own terms. Their website is a valuable resource providing a place to find First Nations knowledge with accessible videos, articles and audios. They have a focus on embedding First Nations knowledge across systems, creating change in the education system and the legal system. They make resources for schools, run campaigns and back advocacy work.
commonground.org.au Home | Common Ground
The Koorie Heritage Trust is located at Federation Square Melbourne (Narrm). Their stated purpose is to nurture, honour and celebrate the continuing cultures and Songlines of the First Peoples of south-eastern Australia. The clasped black and white hands in their logo represents Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people joining in goodwill and cooperation. Representing “bridging of the cultural gap” it reflects that through education and promotion, awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of Victorian First Peoples can be raised. Working towards the broader goal of reconciliation for all Australians.
A range of programs and services are offered, including the only public collection in Victoria dedicated solely to Koorie art and culture comprising artefacts, pictures and photographs as well as an Oral History Program and a Reference Library; a Cultural Experiences Program that includes guided walking tours and cultural competency training and programs; an annual exhibitions program with an emphasis on showcasing young and emerging Victorian Peoples art and artists; a Koorie Family History Service; and a retail shop dedicated exclusively to showcasing the uniqueness of Victorian First Peoples art and design.
koorieheritagetrust.com.au Koorie Heritage Trust – Discover Aboriginal Victoria!
Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education program supports all schools and early learning services in Australia to develop environments that foster a high level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.
Narragunnawali (pronounced narra-gunna-wally) is a word from the language of the Ngunnawal people, Traditional Owners of the land on which Reconciliation Australia’s Canberra office is located, meaning alive, wellbeing, coming together and peace. It reminds us that reconciliation needs to be an active, living process.
The Narragunnawali online platform is free to access and provides practical ways to introduce meaningful reconciliation initiatives in the classroom, around the school and with the community. Through the Narragunnawali platform, schools and early learning services can develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Professional learning and curriculum resources are available to support the implementation of reconciliation initiatives.
Reconciliation Australia is an independent, national not-for-profit organisation promoting reconciliation by building stronger relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
narragunnawali.org.au Narragunnawali – Narragunnawali Home
Some of the many not-for-profit organisations supporting Indigenous Australians
Djirra started in 2002 as the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention & Legal Service (FVPLS Victoria). Since then they have grown, expanded services, evolved as an organisation, and are now Djirra. Their commitment is that they are a place where culture is shared and celebrated, and where practical support is available to all Aboriginal women and particularly to Aboriginal people who are currently experiencing family violence or have in the past.
Djirra is the Woiwurrung word for the reed used by Wurundjeri women for basket weaving. Traditionally, when women gathered to weave, important talks took place and problems were solved. Djirra symbolises Aboriginal women today, still coming together to share stories, support each other and find solutions.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation
Literacy provides a fundamental step of building context, comprehension and understanding, whether it is written, visual or auditory. For kids who miss that foundational step in their literacy journey, it has a lifelong impact.
In remote Communities across Australia there is often no infrastructure such as libraries or bookstores. Access to reading material is extremely limited and this impacts the achievements of Indigenous children.
ILF’s three programs, Book Supply, Book Buzz and Community Publishing, focus on ensuring access to quality resources, including books in First Languages, publishing Community stories and supporting Communities and families to lead the entire process to ensure leadership, ownership, and authenticity is held with Community Elders and residents.
Donations help provide culturally relevant books and learning resources to children and families living in remote Communities across Australia. Donations also support the publishing of books written by Communities, for Communities, in languages of their choice.
indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au The Indigenous Literacy Foundation | ILF | reading opens doors charity non profit
The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) is a state-wide Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) servicing children, young people, families, and community members. It has been operating for over 40 years and is the largest of its kind in Australia.
VACCA’s purpose is supporting culturally strong, safe and thriving Aboriginal communities.
Together with the Aboriginal community, programs are designed, developed and delivered building on peoples’ strengths. This is done with the understanding that intergenerational trauma, and healing occurs in the context of developing relationships, connection to culture, community, and Country.
Services can also be accessed by non-Aboriginal people who have an Aboriginal family member, such as children or a partner.
Vacca.org Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency | VACCA
The Rhodanthe Lipsett Indigenous Midwifery Trust
In 2009 the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) renamed their scholarship fund for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who wished to study to become midwives. ‘The Rhodanthe Lipsett Indigenous Midwifery Trust ‘ was named in honour of the midwifery elder and longstanding ACM member, whose idea it first was to create such a trust. It is a separate entity, Incorporated and registered with the Australian Tax Office as a Charitable Fund.
Their aim is to contribute to the Australian Government’s Closing the Gap initiative, by providing assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are training to be midwives, in order to increase their chances of completing their training. Their goals include to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working as midwives within rural, remote and urban communities. And to strengthen families and communities by increasing the quality and cultural appropriateness of maternal and newborn health care provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
indigenousmidwives.org.au Rhodanthe Lipsett | Indigenous Midwifery Charitable Fund (indigenousmidwives.org.au)
The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health, (“The Jilya Institute”, or “Jilya”) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled not for profit organisation. Jilya was created in response to the 13 deaths of Aboriginal young people in the Kimberley, the subject of the 2019 Fogliani Coronial Inquiry. These deaths, and the continuing deaths of Aboriginal people by suicide, compelled Dr Tracy Westerman AM to act and do something to support improved access to culturally and clinically complex mental health services which could provide measurable outcomes for high risk communities. Jilya has a vision is to reduce Indigenous suicides, build resilience and strengthen wellbeing in Indigenous Australian. They develop culturally and clinically informed mental health and suicide prevention response. Currently they support forty one (41) Indigenous Psychology Students, increasing the number of Indigenous Psychologists working in Australia, especially in high risk regional and remote communities.
thejilyainstitute.com.au The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health | A National Program for Driving Clinical and Cultural Best Practice Services into High Need Indigenous Communities (thejilyainstitute.com.au)
The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation providing a platform to amplify the voices and lived experience of Stolen Generations survivors and their families. They work with communities to create a place of safety, and an environment for Stolen Generations survivors and their families to speak for themselves, tell their own stories, and be in charge of their own healing. They promote trauma-aware, healing-informed practice to help government, policymakers, and workforces understand their role in intergenerational healing.
By addressing unresolved trauma in First Nations communities – trauma that was caused by colonisation and actions like the forced removal of children – they walk alongside communities on the path to healing. Their work honours First Nations ancestors to ensure future generations continue to thrive.
Their website offers a wide range of resources on trauma and healing for Stolen Generations survivors, their descendants, families and communities, along with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It also includes a Stolen Generations Resource Kit for Teachers and Students which covers lesson plans for Years 1 to 12.
healingfoundation.org.au The Healing Foundation | Supporting the healing of Stolen Generations survivors, families and communities
Country Needs People is not-for-profit, registered charity. Nonpartisan and working with all sides of politics for a positive outcome, it is a growing alliance of over 41 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and sea management organisations, Country Needs People Ltd and over 100 000 Australians.
The Country Needs People campaign calls on decision-makers to: Double the number of Indigenous rangers; Create a fund for ranger training, capacity building, networking and capital costs; Double the funding for the Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) program; Ensure equal employment opportunities for women rangers by 2030.
Through Indigenous ranger jobs and Indigenous Protected Areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people harness traditional knowledge, connection to country and access to modern scientific conservation methods to create a win-win for the environment and the wellbeing of communities and individuals. Indigenous land and sea management programs are a contemporary expression of the unbroken and ancient connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to this continent.
Their website provides information on projects through videos and articles.countryneedspeople.org.au Country Needs People