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The Aboriginal History of Yarra

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Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Wayne Thorpe and Alan Brown performing at Bunjilaka, photo by Andrew Chapman courtesy of Museum Victoria.

Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre,
Melbourne Museum, Carlton Gardens

With a focus on south-eastern Australia, Bunjilaka is a place to learn about, experience and connect with Aboriginal culture and history, allowing visitors to share the dynamic and vibrant cultures of Victorian Aboriginal people.

Royal Exhibition Building

Crowds gather in front of the Exhibition building, Melbourne, 1901. Part of Federation celebrations, Melbourne, 1901

Royal Exhibition Building,
Carlton Gardens

On 9 May 1901, the opening of the Parliament of Australia took place here with 14,000 guests in attendance. No Aboriginal people were present at the event.

The Moreton Bay Fig Tree

The Moreton Bay Fig Tree, Carlton Gardens, 2012. Photograph by Bernie Phelan

The Moreton Bay Fig Tree,
Carlton Gardens

From the 1920s-1940s, many legendary Aboriginal speakers such as Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls addressed gatherings here.

Victoria’s ‘Half-Caste Act’ of 1886 was intended to force Aboriginal people of mixed descent to assimilate into white society. The Act had far-reaching consequences on the state’s Aboriginal population, effectively breaking up families and communities, and reducing the number of Aboriginal people on missions and reserves. The Act’s racist intent forced many Aboriginal people to fend for themselves without realistic employment opportunities in the areas they called home. Fitzroy became a welcoming destination that offered both employment and a strong sense of community. Often accommodated in boarding houses which forbade social or political meetings, members of this emerging community began to gather in public spaces. From the 1920s to 1940s, one of the most important of these meeting places was the Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Carlton Gardens. Many legendary speakers addressed gatherings here including Pastor Doug Nicholls, Jack Patten, Bill Onus, William Cooper, Ebenezer Lovett, Martha Nevin and Margaret Tucker.

The Koori Club

The Koori Club commemorative plaque, part of Yarra City’s Fitzroy Aboriginal Heritage Walking Trail, 2012.

The Koori Club,
43 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Established by Aboriginal artist, Lin Onus, this was a social and political meeting place during the 1960s for young people influenced by the Black Power Movement.

The Koori Club was a social and political meeting place during the 1960s for young Aboriginal people. Established by Lin Onus – who later became an internationally renowned artist – the Club asserted an ‘Aboriginal Only’ policy as infl uenced by the ‘Black Power’ movement of the time. These young and fiercely proud Aboriginal activists challenged the more conservative approach of earlier generations. Koori Club member and renowned speaker and leader, Bruce McGuinness, was instrumental in spreading word of the Club and stimulating community debate through the Club’s newspaper, The Koorier. This publication had a signifi cant impact on other young Aboriginal people in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond. According to historian Richard Broome, the Koori Club “…had a short life, but symbolised the Aboriginal rejection of assimilation, and the beginning of an Aboriginal cultural renaissance that is still unfolding.”

Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria

The Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria commemorative plaque, part of Yarra City’s Fitzroy Aboriginal Heritage Walking Trail, 2012.

Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria,
79 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

This was established in 1981 to advocate for Aboriginal families, whose needs were not being met by State housing services, resulting in high rates of eviction and homelessness.

The Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria was established by the Aboriginal community in 1981 after two years of negotiations and lobbying of the State Government. Originally it operated from 108 Smith Street Collingwood, the rented premises of the Victorian Aboriginal Co-operative Limited. From 1981, the Board assumed responsibility for management of the Victorian Aboriginal Rental Housing Program, which was administered and owned by the State Housing Authority. Previously, Aboriginal families were subject to a State Housing service that failed to meet the specific cultural needs of the Aboriginal community, leading to high rates of evictions and homelessness in Aboriginal communities throughout Victoria. As an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation, the Board fought to provide safe, secure and affordable housing that also met, most importantly, the cultural needs of Aboriginal tenants and communities.

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service

Original site of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, 2010

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service,
11 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Established by volunteers in 1973, this service sought to combat disproportionate and unjust impacts of the legal system on Aboriginal people in Victoria.

The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service was officially established in 1973 after members of the community took legal academics to a local pub at closing time where they witnessed Fitzroy police indiscriminately arresting Aboriginal people, regardless of whether they had been drinking or not. Prior to the formation of the Service, legal representation had been conducted by a team of volunteers, some of whom were members of the National Council of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women and the Aborigines Advancement League. These volunteers visited incarcerated Aboriginal people, organised bail and represented them at court hearings for many years before the Legal Service was established. Some of these volunteers included Stewart Murray, Les Booth, Alick Jackomos, Merle Jackomos, Hyllus Maris, Margaret (Briggs) Wirrapunda, Dan Atkinson, Jim Berg, Julia Jones and Geraldine Briggs; as well as Ron Merkel QC, Gareth Evans QC, Ron Castan AM QC, Peter Hanks QC, and Dr Elizabeth Eggleston.

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

VACCA commemorative plaque, part of Yarra City’s Fitzroy Aboriginal Heritage Walking Trail, 2012.

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency,
5 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Established in 1976, this agency took steps towards healing effects of racist government practice and policy that saw separation of Aboriginal children from their families (now known as The Stolen Generations).

The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) was established in 1976 to take steps towards healing the effects of racist Government
practices and policies on Aboriginal children, families and communities. The large scale removal of Aboriginal children, for example, from their families and communities on the basis of colour and cultural identity – now referred to as the Stolen Generations – was a Government sanctioned practice implemented in many areas, Australia-wide, until the 1970s. Today VACCA, based at 139 Nicholson Street, East Brunswick, operates within the context that Aboriginal children continue to be significantly over-represented in Victoria’s protection and care system, largely as a result of past policies. VACCA therefore considers it has the responsibility as well as the opportunity to promote, advocate for, and achieve positive changes in the lives of Indigenous children, their families and their communities.

Atherton Gardens Housing Estate

Friends, family and community at Atherton Gardens, John Brown Collection

Atherton Gardens Housing Estate,
Corner of Gertrude Street and Napier Street, Fitzroy

During the 1980s, this was a popular and safe meeting place for homeless Aboriginal people as well as other Aboriginal people looking to find family and community.

The development of the Atherton Gardens Housing Estate in the late 1950s led to the displacement of a large community of people. This community included a significant number of Aboriginal families, few of whom were later housed in the new high-rise buildings. Many of those displaced resettled further north, but still maintained strong connections with the Fitzroy area. During the 1980s, the Estate’s park was a popular and safe gathering place for homeless Aboriginal people – one of whom was successful singer–songwriter Archie Roach. The park also came to form an important meeting place for Aboriginal visitors to the area looking to connect with Melbourne’s Aboriginal community. The grate–covered drain at this site — often referred to as ‘the Fridge’ — was used to keep alcohol cool in the warmer months and out of sight from prying police eyes.

Koori Information Centre

Archie Roach in Atherton Gardens, 2009, photo by Bindi Cole

Koori Information Centre,
120 Gertrude Street

Established in the early 1980s, this was an effective coordination centre for Aboriginal political activity that eventually attracted unwarranted covert surveillance by federal police. Archie Roach recorded some his first songs here.

The Koori Information Centre was established in the early 1980s to meet arising groundswell of community interest in Indigenous issues. A lot of this interest was generated by huge demonstrations during the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games where hundreds of Indigenous people were arrested under unjust Queensland Government laws. The Koori Information Centre began as a program of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, but later developed into an independent organisation led by Robbie Thorpe, an activist well known for his creation of the famous ‘Pay the Rent’ campaign. It was also in this building that Aboriginal artist Lin Onus produced a popular series of comic books and t-shirts with his distinctive artistic designs. Archie Roach recorded some his first songs here. Over the years,the Koori Information Centre developed into an effective coordination centre for Aboriginal political activity including the publication and distribution ofa community newspaper, The Koorier, that attracted unwarranted covert surveillance by ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation).

Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (1979-1993)

The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, 136 Gertrude Street, date unknown, John Brown Collection

Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (1979-1993),
136 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

This was the second site of the Health Service, considered one of the largest and most important Aboriginal organisations to have emerged from Fitzroy.

Established in 1973 at 229 Gertrude Street, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service was the first Aboriginal community–controlled health and dental service in Victoria. It was established to provide quality healthcare to Aboriginal Victorians with an emphasis on Aboriginal control of Aboriginal affairs. Through the leadership of community members such as Julia Jones, Margaret Tucker, Edna Brown, Bruce McGuinness and Alma Thorpe, the Health Service also initiated a range of projects and organisations dedicated to improved community health. The Fitzroy Stars Aboriginal Community Youth Club Gymnasium Incorporated, Nindeebiya Art & Craft Workshop, the George Wright Hostel, Koori Kollij, Koori Information Centre and the Aboriginal Funeral Fund all started as Health Service initiatives. The Health Service moved premises to136 Gertrude Street and remained there from 1979–1993. Today, the Health Service remains one of the largest and most important Aboriginal community organisations to have emerged from Fitzroy.

George Wright Hostel

George Wright (far left), date unknown, John Brown Collection

George Wright Hostel,
66 George Street, Fitzroy

This hostel was initially established as a half-way house (in 1974) to support the increasing numbers of homeless Aboriginal men in and around Fitzroy.

Established as a half-way house by Aboriginal Hostels Limited and the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service in 1974, this building was officially named the George Wright Hostel in 1986. The shelter was initially set up in response to the many homeless men in and around Fitzroy. Over the years, the Hostel has played a vital role in helping homeless men in the Fitzroy area to get back on their feet by providing access to basic services including health, welfare and employment. For many who have stayed here, the Hostel has served as anything from a sanctuary from life on the streets to a starting point for linking back into the broader society. The Hostel was named after George Wright, one of Fitzroy’s ‘lane boys’, a homeless man and a well-known local identity.

Fitzroy Stars Aboriginal Community Youth Club Gymnasium Incorporated

MAYSAR dancers, Gertrude Street Projection Festival opening, July 2012. Photograph by Bernie Phelan.

Fitzroy Stars Aboriginal Community Youth Club Gymnasium Incorporated,
184–186 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

The Youth Club gym was established in 1977 as a preventative health program to combat the increasing drug and alcohol problems within the metropolitan Aboriginal community.

Fitzroy Stars Aboriginal Community Youth Club Gymnasium Incorporated was an Aboriginal controlled and managed organisation supported by the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service. It was established as a preventive health program to combat the increasing drug and alcohol problems within the metropolitan Aboriginal community. Respected community member Jock Austin was employed as the Health Service’s Sport & Recreation Officer and was instrumental in the Gym’s establishment. The Gym first opened its doors to the Koori community in 1982 at 173 Gertrude Street. The following year, the Gym moved to 99 George Street where it shared the space with Nindeebiya Workshop. Some of the people responsible for the Gymnasium’s establishment (now located at 184–186 Gertrude Street) include Jock Austin, Alma Thorpe, Bruce McGuiness, Dr Bill Roberts, John ‘Longfulla’ Austin, Johnny Mac, Bindi Jack, Ronnie ‘Fox’ Foster, ‘Punchy’ Rose and ‘Magpie’.

Delkuk Spirits (2002), Kelly Koumalatsos, bronze sculpture

Delkuk Spirits, by Kelly Koumalatsos. Photograph by Angela Bailey.

Delkuk Spirits (2002), Kelly Koumalatsos, bronze sculpture,
Corner Gertrude and George streets, Fitzroy

The work marks a significant meeting place and takes its name from a Werhgkia (Weddagaya) word meaning ‘good and beautiful’. This artwork is part of the City of Yarra Collection.

Boomerangs in Flight

Details of Boomerangs in Flight 1, Mandy Nicholson. Photograph by Angela Bailey.

Boomerangs in Flight,
Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Mandy Nicholson’s glass window panels feature imagery including boomerangs, gum leaves, a scar tree and water. The panels were fabricated by Wathaurong Glass. This artwork is part of the City of Yarra Collection.

Nindeebiya

The former site of Nindeebiya, 2010.

Nindeebiya,
99 George Street, Fitzroy

Established in 1983, this was a local community meeting place where Aboriginal people could gather to practise arts & crafts, play sports and have a feed.

Established in 1983, the Nindeebiya Workshop was a local community meeting place where Aboriginal people could gather to practise arts & crafts, play sports and have a meal. Its doors opened early in the morning to catch the street mob and Parkies – serving breakfasts of tea, toast and hot porridge. Art & craft pursuits included screen printing, enamelling copper jewellery and leather crafts, as well as didgeridoo and boomerang making. Nindeebiya had an open door policy and welcomed anyone — Aboriginal or otherwise — in need of some help or direction. It was known as a place where the mob felt at home amongst their family members; a safe, welcoming space that became an important community hub. Key Nindeebiya staff included Jan Chessels, Maxine Briggs and Jack Charles, who always offered a friendly smile and welcoming hand to those in need.

Builders Arms Hotel

Outside The Builders Arms Hotel, circa late 1970s, John Brown Collection

Builders Arms Hotel,
211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Known as the ‘Black pub of Melbourne’, this was an important social and political gathering place for Aboriginal people from the 1940s until the 1980s.

The Builders Arms Hotel was an important Aboriginal social and political gathering place from the 1940s until the 1980s. Together with other hotels along and around Gertrude Street including the Napier, the Rob Roy and the Royal (now closed), the Builders was frequented by Aboriginal community people who were not as keen on church–run activities, and instead preferred to mix with their mob over a quiet drink. It was in such pubs that Aboriginal people mixed with the Fitzroy milieu and forged friendships with the long-term residents and post–war immigrants who also populated the area. Many older members of Melbourne’s Aboriginal community retain fond memories of the Builders Arms Hotel which became known nationally as the ‘Black Pub of Melbourne’, the place to go and meet up with your mob, whether you were a local, or visiting from the country or interstate.

Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (1973-1979)

Original site of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, VAHS website, date unknown.

Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (1973-1979),
229 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Established in 1973, this was the first Aboriginal community–controlled health and dental service in Australia.

Established in 1973 at 229 Gertrude Street, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service was the first Aboriginal community–controlled health and dental service in Victoria. It was established to provide quality healthcare to Aboriginal Victorians with an emphasis on Aboriginal control of Aboriginal affairs. Through the leadership of community members such as Julia Jones, Margaret Tucker, Edna Brown, Bruce McGuinness and Alma Thorpe, the Health Service also initiated a range of projects and organisations dedicated to improved community health. The Fitzroy Stars Aboriginal Community Youth Club Gymnasium Incorporated, Nindeebiya Art & Craft Workshop, the George Wright Hostel, Koori Kollij, Koori Information Centre and the Aboriginal Funeral Fund all started as Health Service initiatives. The Health Service moved premises to136 Gertrude Street and remained there from 1979–1993. Today, the Health Service remains one of the largest and most important Aboriginal community organisations to have emerged from Fitzroy.

3CR Community Radio Mural

3CR Radio, detail of mural, courtesy of 3CR.

3CR Community Radio Mural,
21 Smith Street, Fitzroy

The artwork reflects 3CR’s passionate support for community activism, local history and Indigenous culture.

3CR Community Radio Mural (2010), Bindi Cole, Tom Civil, Reko Rennie, mixed media, 21 Smith Street (cnr of Little Victoria St), Fitzroy.

The artwork reflects 3CR’s passionate support for community activism, local history and Indigenous culture.

Koori Kollij

Koori Kollij, Cambridge Street, 1987. Photo by Patrick McArdell, National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an23436087.

Koori Kollij,
42 Cambridge Street, Collingwood

Established in 1982, Koori Kollij was an Aboriginal health worker training program that forged new and enduring standards of Aboriginal healthcare in Australia.

Established in 1982, Koori Kollij was an Aboriginal health worker training program that forged new and enduring standards of Aboriginal healthcare inAustralia. Born from the philosophy of Aboriginal control of Aboriginal affairs, the ‘kollij’ was created to ensure that Aboriginal people were an integral part of healthcare within their communities. A venture of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, the first intake attracted thirty Aboriginal students. With enrolments from across the country, graduates returning to their communities were able to share newly learned skills and implement important changes to health service delivery. While focusing primarily on health worker training, course offerings soon expanded to include politics of health, media, art and music. Koori Kollij was a place where many students fi rst learned of their country’s history and how to create positive changes for their people. Many graduates continued on to fulfil senior leadership roles in their communities.

Victorian Aboriginal Co-operative Limited

VACL, 108 Smith Street, Uncle Jock Austin on left, John Brown collection.

Victorian Aboriginal Co-operative Limited,
108 Smith Street, Collingwood

Established in 1976, this co-op provided local housing and welfare services to the Aboriginal community of Melbourne.

Established in 1976, the Victorian Aboriginal Co-operative Limited provided local housing and welfare services to the Aboriginal community of Melbourne. The Co-op was directly involved in, or provided its meagre resources towards, the establishment of a number of Aboriginal community–controlled organisations and services such as the Fitzroy Stars Aboriginal Youth Club Gymnasium Incorporated, Koori Kollij, Aboriginal History Program, Melbourne Aboriginal Community Youth Support Scheme, Eric McGuiness Study Centre, Victorian Aboriginal Education Association, Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria, Melbourne Aboriginal Education Association, Camp Jungai, Melbourne Blacks Basketball Club, Yappera Childrens Services, Victorian Aboriginal Youth Sport and Recreation, National Council of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women, and the Koori Kitchen.

Stones and Petrified Wood Sculptural Streetscape

‘The Rocks’ corner of Smith and Stanley Streets, by Glenn Romanis.

Stones and Petrified Wood Sculptural Streetscape,
1 Stanley St, Collingwood

This artwork by Glenn Romanis is a bird’s eye view of the streets and topography of Collingwood and Fitzroy. It uses inlaid stone to map local sites of past and present Aboriginal significance. This artwork is part of the City of Yarra Collection.

This artwork by Glenn Romanis (2010) is a bird’s eye view of the streets and topography of Collingwood and Fitzroy. It uses inlaid stone to map local sites of past and present Aboriginal significance. This artwork is part of the City of Yarra Collection.

Strata of Memory

Strata of Memory (2011)

Strata of Memory,
Victoria Park, Abbotsford

Strata of Memory traces the history of the site from the Wurundjeri people’s past and present connection to the land through to the early development of the suburb and the oval, the birth of the Collingwood Football Club and the evolution of Victoria Park as the heart of the local community. This artwork is part of the City of Yarra Collection.

Strata of Memory is by Eliza Greenhatch with collaborators Bianca Tweed, Indigenous artists Judy Nicholson and Jamie Symons, and stencil artist Kirpy.

The Wurundjeri Tribe are the Traditional Owners and caretakers of this area and regard it to be of great spiritual significance. This artwork traces the history of the site, the tribe’s past and present connection to the land, through to the early development of the suburbs and the oval, the birth of the Collingwood Football Club and the evolution of Victoria Park as the heart of the local community.

The design on the lower step depicts the five language groups of the Kulin Nation – Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri), Bunurong, Taungurong, Watharung and Dja Dja Wurrung – as circular meeting places along travel lines, each telling a story of connection to Country and life by the Yarra River (Birrarung) in the Dreamtime. The nearby area now known as Dights Falls was an important place for meeting, ceremony, hunting and fishing.

The design on the ramp shows the clans coming together to play the traditional game of marngrook. Played with a possum skin ball that was kicked long and high, the distinguishing feature of the game was the way players jumped high on each others’ backs to catch the ball. The tribes would merge into two teams based on the totemic moieties of Bunjil (eagle) and Waa (crow).

Pastor Doug Nicholls Church of Christ

Pastor Doug Nicholls and Congregation, Church of Christ, Gore Street, Fitzroy, circa 1951. Photo: Richard Seeger, Nicholls Family Collection

Pastor Doug Nicholls Church of Christ,
258 Gore Street, Fitzroy

In 1943, Pastor Doug Nicholls and his wife Gladys Nicholls, with support from the Church of Christ, established a church service that attracted a devoted Aboriginal congregation.

In 1943, Pastor Doug Nicholls and his wife Gladys Nicholls, with support from the Church of Christ, established a church service that attracted a devoted Aboriginal congregation and famous international guests. Pastor Doug Nicholls remained Pastor until 1970 and he became a great leader for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia. In 1962 he was named Victorian Father of the Year; in 1969 he was proclaimed ‘Bapa Mamus’ (Headman) by the Torres Strait Islander people; in 1972 he became the first Aboriginal person to be knighted; in 1976 he became Governor of South Australia; in 1979 he was crowned King of Moomba; in 2007 a statue of Pastor Sir Doug and Lady Gladys Nicholls was unveiled in Parliament Gardens, Melbourne; and in 2008 the Nicholls family launched Dungulla Wamayirr (River People) Exhibition on the Life of Pastor Sir Doug and Lady Gladys Nicholls.

Batman Treaty Signing

Batman's treaty with the aborigines [sic] at Merri Creek, 6th June 1835, John Wesley Burtt, picture collection, State Library of Victoria, ID 49196048

Batman Treaty Signing,
Merri Creek near Rushall Station, Falconer Street, North Fitzroy (approx location)

In 1835, John Batman met with Wurundjeri Elders near this location and presented them with a land use agreement giving him access to land in exchange for goods and rations. Today, the meaning and interpretation of this treaty is contested.

Corroboree Tree

Corroboree Tree, Richmond Gardens, 1933, pictures collection, State Library of Victoria, Accession No H4829

Corroboree Tree,
Burnley Oval, Richmond

This huge, ancient, dead River Red Gum once served as a marker of clan territories, and also a place for various gatherings and celebrations (corroborees).

Aboriginal Protectorate

William Thomas, Protectorate, picture collection, State Library of Victoria, ID mu000370

Aboriginal Protectorate,
Confluence of the Yarra River and Merri Creek

William Thomas lived here with the Wurundjeri for many years, employed by the government to ‘protect’ them from his fellow Europeans, ‘civilise’ them with Christianity and keep them away from the settlement.

Burial Site of Billibellary

Looking upriver from the confluence of the Yarra River and the Merri Creek, photograph by City of Yarra, 2012.

Burial Site of Billibellary,
Confluence of the Yarra River and Merri Creek

Billibellary was Ngurungaeta or clan headman of the Wurundjeri-willam when Europeans began arriving in this area, and led his people for the next ten years through a difficult period of change. Billibellary died on 10 August, 1846.

Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council

Home of the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council, photograph by City of Yarra, 2013.

Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council,
1st Floor Providence Building, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford

The Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council was established in 1985 by descendants of the Wurundjeri people who are the Traditional Owners of the country around Melbourne. There are three family groups in the council: the Nevins, Terricks and Wandins with 30 elders and about 60 members.