“The bid provides an opportunity to have the region’s First Peoples ‘put back into the landscape in a respectful way’, to tell who they are and who we all want to be going forward – choosing how we tell this story, together.”
- Rodney Carter, Strategic Advisor to the World Heritage Bid and former CEO DJAARA
World Heritage listing will celebrate and elevate Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and the continuing story of First Peoples. At the same time, it will acknowledge the devasting impact the 19th century gold rushes had and continues to have on Country.
Leadership of First Peoples in World Heritage
The International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage highlights that the participation by First Peoples in World Heritage has and is critical and that its only through ‘persistent Indigenous activism’, etc, that the notion of human rights and participation by custodian communities is now core to today’s more inclusive World Heritage practices.
Watch: How World Heritage Is Changing: First Peoples Self-Determination and New Approaches (National Trust YouTube Channel). Hear from Kristal Buckley AM, Sophia Jackson (DJAARA), Rebecca O’Brien (Heritage Victoria) and Trevor Budge AM (Strategic Advisor). Facilitated by Susan Fayad (City of Ballarat).
Benefits and intent
The Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid acts as a catalyst for exploring significant opportunities for restoring and enhancing protection of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, recognising custodial ownership, building awareness, truth-telling and healing. It provides opportunities for tourism-led sustainable development, that will create business and employment opportunities and build capacity to directly benefit First Peoples. It does this by providing a platform for First People’s leadership and contributions for shaping the bid and how it can best benefit communities, culture and Country.
World Heritage has the potential to bring real and long-lasting benefits that will be shared by First Peoples right across the region.
World Heritage is a proven, powerful catalyst with the potential to transform local communities. As the custodians of Country, the Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) and Traditional Owners are invited to lead and guide the engagement to ensure their priorities and values – as outlined in their Country Plans and in their aspirations – are captured in the bid process.
The bid is a vehicle for tourism-led sustainable development, from business and employment opportunities to capacity building, that will directly benefit First Peoples.
A focus on storytelling, including truth-telling around an event which is often only told from a ‘colonial’ perspective, will create a new public narrative by promoting new understandings and respect for First Peoples and Country.
- Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation – Growing What is Good
- DJAARA – Dhelkunya Dja (Healing Country)
- Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation – Meerreengeeye Ngakeepoorryeeyt
- Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation – Our Country
- Taungurung Land and Waters Council Aboriginal Corporation – Taungurung Buk Dadbagi (Country Plan)
- Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation – Paleert Tjaara Dja (Let’s make good Country together)
- Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation – Wominjeka yearmann koondee biik Wurundjeri balluk (Welcome to the land of the Wurundjeri people)
- Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation – Yorta Yorta Traditional Owner Land Management Agreement