The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken part in an Aboriginal walking tour in Melbourne, joining the Scar Tree Walk which connects traditional and contemporary Aboriginal cultures and the histories of the local Kulin Peoples.
The couple were accompanied by local Indigenous guides on the walk, which began at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Federation Square. A scar tree, also known as a canoe tree or shield tree, has had bark removed by Aboriginal Australians for creating bark canoes, shelters, weapons, tools, traps and containers. Scar trees may also mark places of significance such as burial sites, providing a link to 60,000 years of continuous culture.
The walk follows the Birrarung (Yarra River) and meanders through Birrarung Wilam Aboriginal art pieces and contemporary installations. It continues over William Barak Bridge, named after an elder of the Wurundjeri-willam clan, and enters a traditional Kulin Nation meeting place, now the site of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The walk finishes at the Scar Trees, a protected cultural heritage site in Yarra Park.
During the walk, Harry stopped to talk to Rohan Davies and his three-year-old daughter Heidi. Mr Davies described the encounter as “surreal”, adding that he asked for a photo and the duke agreed. Another passer-by, Sofia Rocha, a runner from Brazil, said she was “very surprised” to see the couple and noted they seemed “patient and really open to talking to people”.
