Traditional owners have filed a native title claim over Melbourne and surrounding regions, seeking legal recognition of their enduring connection to the land. The application, lodged with the Federal Court on Friday, covers thousands of square kilometres from the Werribee River mouth north to the Great Dividing Range, east to Mount Baw Baw, and south through Bunyip to Mordialloc Creek.
The claim includes significant waterways such as parts of the Yarra, Maribyrnong and Plenty Rivers, the northern section of Port Phillip Bay, and the historic Coranderrk reserve, established in 1863 as a site of Aboriginal self-determination. It comes just a week after Victoria became the first Australian state to pass treaty legislation with Aboriginal people.
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung elder Di Kerr said the process was about ensuring their connection to country is recognised in law, as it has always existed in truth. “We want to have partnerships with governments and Parks Victoria so we can co-manage and look after that country,” she said. If successful, it would be the eighth native title determination in Victoria and the third covering a capital city, following Adelaide in 2018 and the Noongar settlement encompassing Perth.
Native title applies only to crown land and does not affect private property. The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung aim to negotiate management of parks and conservation areas such as parts of the Dandenong Ranges and Bunyip State Park. Elder Perry Wandin stressed the claim is not about taking homes but working with government to restore the land. “It is now time for the traditional lore and customs of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people to be recognised,” he said.
