In the past, we have recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritages by adopting the:
- Recognising Indigenous Culture and Heritage Policy 2009–13
- Reconciliation Policy and Action Plan 2004–07
- Reconciliation Action Plan 2000–03.
We have listed some of the reconciliation actions we have taken over the past 5 years below.
- We hold a regular meeting between Council officers and representatives from the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC). At these meetings we plan joint projects and activities.
- We partner with the WWCHAC and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to deliver special projects and activities. This included the development and design of the Wurundjeri Trail at Chandler Reserve.
- We created an internal working group of staff at Council. This group plans ways for Council to recognise and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
- We hold an annual event to mark National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) or NAIDOC Week (first full week in July). This included launching the Wurundjeri Trail at Chandler Reserve in 2017 with the WWCHAC. We also delivered a special event for children and families in 2019 at the Greythorn Community Hub. This included educational activities led by Yarn Strong Sista and a performance by Women’s Djirri Djirri Dance group.
- We fly the Aboriginal flag at the Camberwell Civic Centre and Kew Library.
- We include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and performers at both the Town Hall Gallery in Hawthorn and the Kew Court House.
- We partner with the WWCHAC to hold Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytime sessions for children at our libraries.
- We plant, maintain and provide signs about Indigenous flora in Wurundjeri Garden in Hawthorn and Chandler Reserve.
- We developed guidelines for our staff about how to give an Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners at internal and external meetings and events.
- We installed a plaque outside the Council Chamber acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Boroondara.
- We have artwork by a well-known Aboriginal artist, Lin Onus, in the foyer at the Camberwell Civic Centre.
- We complete our statutory obligations for cultural heritage management under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2018. We do this by telling developers that are planning an activity on a sensitive site to submit an approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan. They need to do this before we will consider giving them a planning permit.
- We have included actions in our Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2020–22 to support the recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This includes placement in 2021 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traineeship positions in Council.
- We worked with the WWCHAC to develop a personalised Acknowledgement of Country for the Mayor to give at Council’s Citizenship Ceremony on Australia Day 2021 and 2022.
- We delivered a cultural immersion program in the eastern metropolitan region for Koorie Secondary Students in 2021. We did this with the Koorie Education Support Officers at the Department of Education and local councils in Maroondah, Monash and Manningham.
- We worked with Mullum Creations (part of Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place) to deliver 2 online 2021 Children's Week events. They included cooking with native bushfoods and a care for Country / Yarn video.