By Tyler Wright
The Hills Hub in Emerald has hosted its first National Reconciliation Week event since its opening in 2020, welcoming local school children and a Wurundjeri Elder to celebrate the coming together of cultures.
Uncle Ian Hunter began the event with a smoking ceremony surrounded by students from Menzies Creek Primary School, Emerald Primary School and Emerald Secondary College, Gembrook Primary School, Cockatoo Primary School, CFA members and Victoria Police.
Displaying bark to the crowd, the Wurundjeri Elder explained the origin of the word Wurundjeri – ‘Wurun;’ meaning Manna Gum found along the Yarra River.
“If you were really observant, you might have actually seen the outer casing of a grub that had just come out of those holes and turned into a moth – a triangular shaped moth.. They were called ‘Djeri’ – we put those two words together,” Uncle Ian Hunter said.
The other word, Willum, actually means bark – and what did the Aboriginal people make their houses out of? Bark…”
So it not only means bark, but it also means ‘house’ or ‘living’.”
Each attendee was invited to take a gum leaf in remembrance of the ceremony.
As part of Reconciliation Week, students from surrounding primary schools produced artwork to display what ‘reconciliation’ meant to them – which were available to view at the Hills Hub.
“The artwork that the students have produced is really amazing…Cockatoo [Primary School] has produced over 300 clay tiles and Gembrook Primary School have produced these beautiful message sticks, and the high school students have then taken their own interpretation with some beautiful dolls and photography,” Cardinia Shire Council’s Hills Hub Placemaker Anna Benjamin said.
“I really wanted to acknowledge reconciliation week, and I wanted to do it together with the community; with the schools and the teachers,” Ms Benjamin said.
Each school was awarded with a certificate of appreciation for their work.
