Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation

“Wadawurrung People nurtured and cared for Country with their traditional knowledge and cultural practices for thousands of years and generations, caring for all belonging to Country, connected to stories and knowledge from our sky Country to the many landscapes and waters, to our ground Country that Osborne house sits on: Wadawurrung Country.” Corrina Eccles

Wadawurrung woman

Acknowledging and respecting Wadawurrung Country and its People

Osborne House is built upon Wadawurrung Country in Djilang/ Geelong. This land holds stories of the living cultural heritage traditions including speaking of nurturing and caring of which Wadawurrung people have practiced for more than 60,000 years.

Osborne House overlooks Coriayo/ Corio Bay and has uninterrupted views of the water. The Wadawurrung People prized this location for its attractive landscape, beautiful sunrises and easy access to the ocean and fresh seafood.

Wadawurrung woman, Corrina Eccles, said that while the rich history of Osborne House should be celebrated, the tens of thousands of years of Wadawurrung People caring for the land on which the house is built must also be appropriately acknowledged. “The land and water in front of Osborne House has always been a place of living, we have evidence of this with registered cultural heritage sites which tell us the story of Wadawurrung life, camps and feasts,” Corrina said.

While Wadawurrung families gathered at the Bay for their feasts, they passed down ancestral stories to their children. “These are the oldest knowledge, and stories told on the land and are vitally important,” Corrina said.

“WE HOPE THAT THESE STORIES, HOLDING THE FIRST ORIGINAL HISTORIES OF THIS PLACE, CAN CONTINUE TO BE TOLD, ACKNOWLEDGING AND RESPECTING WADAWURRUNG COUNTRY AND PEOPLE, OUR ORAL STORIES AND KNOWLEDGE.

Wadawurrung Heritage Unit Manager, Stephanie Frydas, added that Osborne House overlaps with cultural heritage sites which are protected under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and its regulations. “Any future works would need to ensure that they are in line with all required permits before the works occur,” Stephanie said. Stephanie also said that certain gatherings or events might trigger the need for a Cultural Heritage Management Plan or Cultural Heritage Permit to the land. “These permits and what they entail would be guided by the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners as they are consulted throughout the entire process and are ultimately the permit approvals authority,” she said. The Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation is the Registered Aboriginal Party for Wadawurrung Country and the representative body for Wadawurrung Traditional Owners. For the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation complete response, click here.