Inspirational visit to Coranderrk

Courtesy of Banyule City Council’s Community Garden Network, 30 people (including about a dozen Sustainable Macleod members) were privileged to visit Coranderrk in the Yarra Valley and spend 5 hours on country with Uncle Dave Wandin, in NAIDOC week.

Coranderrk Aboriginal Station was established in 1863 and officially closed in 1924, after twice being stolen from its indigenous owners who were profitably managing the station. Two-hundred acres was re-purchased in 1998 and is now managed by Uncle Dave Wandin. Uncle Dave has turned It into a productive, profitable farm and revegetated the land to support animals and birds including the endangered helmeted honey-eater. 

We spent 5 hours on country with Uncle Dave learning a new way of understanding the complex interactions of the 11 ecosystems there. We also learnt about the way scientific evidence now supports the creation stories about the carving out of the Yarra River and the significance and value of the smoking ceremony.

Our thanks go to Uncle Dave for his inspiring walk and to Gemma Watson, Environmental Engagement Officer for Banyule City Council, for her organisation of this very special excursion and for arranging the community bus to transport people to Coranderrk and back.