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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Hume City is located on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung. The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, which includes the Gunung-Willam-Balluk clan, are the traditional owners of this land. At the time of the 2016 Census, there were approximately 1,456 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people residing in Hume, the fifth largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in metropolitan Melbourne (ABS 2016). The suburbs of Craigieburn and Sunbury have the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within Hume City.

Council Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community

Council Services for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community

Information regarding access and support to culturally specific services for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community in Hume City Council.

Access and Support Team

Hume City Council employs an Access and Support Officer who is able to assist our community elders and families who have a member with a disability or illness to access aged care, home and community care or disability services. This can help people to remain living at home. The Access and Support Officer can provide information only or support you through the process to access services. For more information about this service visit Commonwealth Home Support Programme

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific Social Support Group

Elders On The Move Social Support Group offers Commonwealth Home Support Programme eligible Elders living in the Community the opportunity to come together and have a yarn. The group offers a range of activities including; social, cultural, arts and craft, music, cooking, light exercise and outings. Transport is available to and from the group. For more information visit the Commonwealth Home Support Programme

Hume City Council Family Services

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Team assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children from birth to school age to connect with the following support services:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Parent Engagement Worker
Maternal and Child Health Nurse
Aboriginal Parents as Teachers Worker

For more information see Children

Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group (RAPWG)

Established in June 2019, the RAPWG advises Council on the priorities of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and guides the implementation of Hume’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2020-22(PDF, 6MB).

The group has met monthly since and has had substantially influenced the work of Council and enhanced outcomes for the community. Achievements during this time have included:

Improved engagement with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Improved relationships with key Aboriginal stakeholders including the Traditional Owner Group, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
Increased staff knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history through the delivery of cultural competency and cultural safety training.
More events and programs sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and knowledge.
Increased interest from the public about engaging with the Hume’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
The establishment of the Stolen Generations Marker Working Group (SGMWG) and the implementation of the Stolen Generations Marker Project.

How do I respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Hume City?

Guidelines on Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners and Welcome to Country

Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners

An Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners can be done by anyone and is a way of showing awareness of, and respect for, the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of the land on which a meeting or event is being held. For example, at Hume City Council the following words are used:

Hume City Council recognises the rich Aboriginal heritage within the municipality and acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, which includes the existing family members of the Gunung-Willam-Balluk clan, as the Traditional Custodians of this land. Council embraces Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander living cultures as a vital part of Australia’s identity and recognises, celebrates and pays respect to Elders past, present and future.

Welcome to Country

Protocols for formally welcoming guests to Country (Tanderrum) have been a part of Aboriginal culture for thousands of years. A Welcome to Country is a way of recognising and paying respect to Aboriginal people and acknowledging their ongoing connection to Country. A Welcome to Country ceremony is performed by Aboriginal Traditional Owners for people visiting their Country. These ceremonies vary from speeches of welcome to traditional dance and smoking ceremonies and are typically conducted by a community elder or known representative of that Traditional Owner group. A Welcome to Country usually occurs at the opening of an event. A Welcome to Country can be arranged through the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. Bookings should be made well in advance of the event date.

Book a Welcome to Country through the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation

Hume Stolen Generations Marker project

Council’s commitment

As part of Hume City Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan 2020-2022 commitments, Council is working in partnership with the community to develop and install a permanent Stolen Generations Marker in Hume.

The Marker will pay tribute to the Stolen Generations – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities and denied their identity, family, traditional culture and country through race-based policies implemented by State and Federal Governments between 1910 and the 1970s.
The Marker will acknowledge the harm caused to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities across the nation and will serve as a reminder about the terrible injustice caused by successive governments on Aboriginal people and the impacts it is still causing today.

Hume City Council is committed to recognising the lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families impacted by these past policies, and the installation of a permanent Marker will serve to provide a place for Stolen Generations and all Australians to reflect on historical wrongs and help our communities to find a sense of peace, identity and belonging.

Project guidance

In early 2020 Hume City Council established a working group that guides the project. The group includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, community members affected by the impacts of the Stolen Generations and representatives from peak bodies including Connecting Home and Link-Up Victoria.

Artist, artwork and location

After an Expression of Interest (EOI) process and concept development phase overseen by the Stolen Generations Marker Working Group, Hume City Council endorsed artist Robert Young to create the Stolen Generations Marker in Hume.

Robert is a Gunnai/Waradjurie/Yorta Yorta/Gunditjmarra artist.

Robert's artwork Covered in the Creator will feature a large metal possum skin cloak representing family, located with a canoe shaped ground artwork representing the journey, and a seat in the shape of a traditional coolamon representing childhood.