Save Victorian Boonwurrung Native Title Claim

** UPDATE **

The “Notification Period” for the Boonwurrung Peoples Native Title Claim (VID363/2020) commences on 20th October. During the notification period, any party who believes that they have an interest arising from this Native Title Claim and wishes to become a party, must apply to the Federal Court by 19th January 2022.

The Boonwurrung People have funded anthropological reports to commence their application. The next stage will require additional funding to engage Independent Expert Anthropologists to complete a full connection report and to meet the legal costs during this initial stage of the Native Title Claim.



FIGHTING FUND TO SAVE THE BOONWURRUNG TRADITIONAL OWNER CULTURAL INTEGRITY AND NATIVE TITLE RIGHTS

Please help us to save the culture, knowledge and traditions of the Victorian Boonwurrung community for future generations of all Australians.

The Boonwurrung People have occupied their lands since time immemorial. We have not only survived the ravages of colonialism, but control our heritage, language and cultural affairs.

Our sacred country extends from the Werribee River to the east of Port Phillip (Nairm Dierp) to Wilsons Promontory (Wamoon).

On 1 July 2021 the Victorian Government and its Bureaucrats made a decision to “cancel” the Boonwurrung People and hand over control of their country to an interstate-based group, from Tasmania and Western Australia – without any recourse to anthropological reports – just the whim of a few of her prized public servants on the basis of political strategy designed to impact on the Victorian Boonwurrung Traditional Owners. This action by the Victorian Government was made despite the Boonwurrung People having an active Native Title application in the Federal Court.

"We have had our ancestral lands and waters stolen all over again."

In 2020, the Boonwurrung People lodged a Native Title claim in the Federal Court (VID363/2020) over their ancestral Country. It was envisaged that this claim would form the basis for working out a long term plan for protecting our Boonwurrung heritage, our songlines and traditions for future generations of Boonwurrung children and the wider Australian community.

The Boonwurrung Elders have worked tirelessly for decades to promote and protect our cultural traditions. They are proud to continue the traditions and knowledge passed on to us by our ancestors who were born in the Melbourne (Nairm) area before European occupation in 1835.

The Boonwurrung People expected to be able to meet all their legal costs through artefact, site protection work and cultural consultancy. They have never received government grants and are tremendously proud of their achievements and self-determination over their cultural affairs.

However, in June 2021, the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council (VAHC), a non-representative Council appointed by the Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, made a shocking decision, on the advice of Government Bureaucrats, to ostracize and disenfranchise the Boonwurrung by appointing an interstate based Tasmanian/Western Australian organisation as “Traditional Owners” and “Recognised Aboriginal Party” over all Boonwurrung lands and waters. And scandalously, without any anthropological or historical evidence for this egregious decision, stole our Country all over again.

Not content with just handing over their heritage to an interstate group, the Victorian Government then proceeded to black ban the Boonwurrung from undertaking any further cultural consultancy on their own Country – this needless destructive act denies them the right to earn income to finance their Native Title claim (which the State of Victoria is a Respondent Party).

This is not the first time this Ministerial appointed VAHC Board has acted against the interests of Victorian Traditional Owners. They need to be stopped and sanctioned for this neo-colonialism that affects all Victorians who have a conscience and a sense of decency and social justice.

The Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council is seeking much needed funds to assist with their legal costs to challenge the decision of the Ministerial appointed Aboriginal Heritage Council and also to assist funding the first stages of their Native Title claim; and protect Boonwurrung culture from arbitrary government bullying and cultural destruction.

The Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council represents the hundreds of descendants of the Traditional Owners of the Melbourne coastal area.

We appreciate any financial assistance as a symbolic token of sympathetic and altruistic charitable goodwill and works. We will keep all supporters updated with regular newsletters on the progress of our legal battle and value your much needed support. We look forward to celebrating our victory with all our supporters in the not too distant future!! Right is on our side and we will prevail.

Noon Godjin

(Thank You)