Djab Wurrung Heritage Protection Embassy facts for kids
The Djab Wurrung Heritage Protection Embassy was a special place where activists gathered from 2018 to 2021. It was made up of three camps near Buangor, Victoria. The main goal of the Embassy was to stop the Victorian Government from destroying sacred birthing trees. They also wanted to speak up for Aboriginal people's rights and their land rights.
Djab Wurrung people led the Embassy. Many other First Nations people and community members visited and supported them. The camps were eventually taken down during arrests in 2020. This is when a very important tree, called the 'Directions Tree', was destroyed.
Why the Embassy Started
Some very old and sacred trees were planned to be cut down by VicRoads. This was to make way for a bigger Western Highway. The plan for this road upgrade was announced in 2013. It would connect the towns of Ballarat and Stawell.
The people at the Embassy were not against making the highway better. But they wanted to be asked for their opinion first. Most importantly, they did not want the sacred trees to be destroyed.
VicRoads said that over seven years, there had been more than 100 crashes on that part of the highway. They said 11 people had died and over 50 were seriously hurt. However, some people criticized the upgrade because it would only save about three minutes of driving time.
The camps were called an "embassy" to show that Aboriginal people have their own rights. It also reminded people of the historic Aboriginal Tent Embassy. One activist said they were "reclaiming our sacred land under the rule of sovereignty." This means they were taking back control of their own land.
What are Birthing Trees?
The birthing trees are very old eucalypt trees. For many hundreds of years, generations of Djab Wurrung people were born under these trees. These trees are very important culturally. They are on sacred women's land.
A special tree called a "directions tree" was made when a child was born. The father would bury the placenta, and the mother would plant a seed. These were planted with a tree. This tree would then grow as the child grew.
These trees are hundreds of years old. They are connected to the songs and stories of the Djab Wurrung people. The trees link the Djab Wurrung people to Mount Langi Ghiran. This place is known as 'the black cockatoo dreaming site'. They also connect to the Hopkins River, which is linked to the eel dreaming.
The destruction of the Directions Tree was compared to the destruction of other important cultural sites. For example, the ancient rock shelters at the Juukan Gorge or Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral.
History of the Embassy
On June 18, 2018, the embassy started with just one tent. But it quickly grew. Soon there were three main camps: a top camp, a middle camp, and a women's camp.
In 2019, an agreement was made between VicRoads and the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation. This group is the official Aboriginal Party for the area. The agreement was to protect 15 trees. However, the Embassy disagreed with this. They said that Eastern Maar did not speak for them.
The Directions Tree was not one of the trees chosen for protection by Eastern Maar. VicRoads said the tree was not old enough to be important. But others said the tree was 350 years old. A heritage report by Dr. Heather Bluith said the tree was a cultural marker. This was because it had a small circular scar and a quartz blade nearby.
Many court cases were held in the Supreme Court. These cases tried to stop the trees from being removed. In December 2019, the Federal Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, had to look again at protecting the trees. This was because of a mistake in her last decision. However, Minister Ley decided that the trees were culturally important but not at risk. She believed this because of the agreement between Eastern Maar and VicRoads. But this agreement was never made official.
The camps that made up the Embassy were taken down by Victoria Police. This happened during arrests in 2020. It was right after long lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. During these lockdowns, many supporters could not get to the embassy. This was because police had set up a perimeter around Melbourne. Fifty people were arrested. Those who did come were given large fines. Soon after, VicRoads cut down the 'Directions Tree'. These events and the arrests caused the Embassy to break apart, even though people tried to keep it going.
What Happened Next
In June 2022, the Victorian Government announced a new plan. It was called a Cultural Heritage Management Plan. This new plan would look at how to protect the trees. The old plan, made in 2013, did not cover these specific trees. Marjorie Thorpe was a lead person in several court cases. She approved of the new plan. She said it would allow people to hold the government responsible if they did not protect the trees.
