Wadawurrung

Meredith and Golden Plains are held on the lands of the Wadawurrung, who have been living with and caring for these lands for tens of thousands of years. Part of the mighty Kulin Nation, Wadawurrung Country extends past Beaufort in the north, to Werribee in the east, down to Aireys Inlet in the South, and back past Skipton in the west.

Since 2013, we have met with Traditional Owners of the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC).

The WTOAC represents Traditional Owner interests at all levels of government and community. They are the Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) for Wadawurrung Country. The Corporation has a statutory role in the management of Aboriginal heritage values and culture within our region, under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act, 2006.

We have had the privilege of learning from and spending time with Barry Gilson, who, along with Tammy Gilson, and Sean and Patrick Fagan, have been performing a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony at each festival since Golden Plains Thirteen.

A special thank you to Barry for sharing his knowledge around place names and Wadawurrung history and culture more generally.

You can find out more more about the Wadawurrung via the WTOAC website.