Traditional owners file native title claim over Melbourne and surrounding areas | Indigenous Australians

Traditional owners have claimed native title over Melbourne and surrounding areas.

The claim of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people covers thousands of square kilometers from the mouth of the Werribee River in the north to its source in the Great Dividing Ranges, east to Mount Baw Baw, south along the Bunyip and west to Mordialloc Creek.

It also covers major waterways, including parts of the Yarra, Maribyrnong and Plenty rivers and the northern part of Port Philip Bay. The area around Coranderrk, an Aboriginal reserve established by the Victorian government in 1863 and still considered an important place of self-determination, will also be recognized under the claim filed in federal court on Friday.

This comes a week after Victoria became the first Australian state to legislate a formal treaty with Aboriginal people.

Di Kerr, a Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung elder, said the process was about “ensuring that our connection to the country is recognized in law as it has always been in reality.”

“We are very proud that this process is happening and we want to walk through it together,” Kerr said. “We don’t want separation. We want to build partnerships with governments and Parks Victoria so we can manage and protect this country together.”

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If successful, this would be the eighth native title determination to be granted in Victoria and the third covering a capital city. Kaurna people were recognized as native title holders of Adelaide in 2018 after an 18-year battle; and the Noongar native title settlement in Western Australia covers the entire southwestern corner of the state, including Perth.

Filing the application in federal court is the first step in a process that can often take decades. If native title is granted, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung will be granted rights to access, use and protect the land in accordance with their own laws and customs, as well as the right to be consulted.

Native title applies only to crown land and does not affect private homes, businesses or public infrastructure. Therefore, its coverage in metropolitan areas is limited.

The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people hope to negotiate the transfer or inclusion of management of some of the parks and reserves within the claim area. These may include the Dandenong Ranges, Bunyip state park, Wombat state forest and Lerderderg state park.

There are six other native title applications before the federal court in Victoria, covering most of the state.

Perry Wandin, a Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung elder, said that when native title claims were launched, “everyone thinks we’re after their property.” But he said their goal is actually to protect and restore the land by working with the government and communities.

“Wurundjeri people have been fighting for recognition and respect for decades and are at the forefront of preserving culture and country in Melbourne and the surrounding area,” he said.

“The courts have recognized seven more groups in Victoria. It is now time for the traditional knowledge and customs of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people to be recognised.”