Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation facts for kids
The Wadawurrung Aboriginal Corporation is a special group that helps look after the culture and heritage of the Aboriginal Australian people in the Geelong and Ballarat areas of Victoria, Australia. They are also known as Wathaurung.
This group is officially recognized as a Registered Aboriginal Party since May 21, 2009. This means they have an important job to make sure that the ancient culture and history of the Wadawurrung people are protected and kept alive. They have offices in Ballarat.
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Who Works at Wadawurrung?
In 2009, Byron Powell became the chairperson, which is like the main leader of the group.
Since 2011, Sean Fagan has been the Cultural Heritage Coordinator. This person helps manage and protect important cultural sites. Before him, Bonnie Fagan (Chew) had this job from 2008 to 2011.
Mapping Important Cultural Sites
The Wadawurrung Aboriginal Corporation uses a special computer program called CrestSX. This program helps them map and record important cultural sites. These sites can be places where significant events happened long ago, even as far back as 25,000 years, when the Wadawurrung people first lived in the Geelong, Ballarat, and Bellarine Peninsula areas.
How Does Site Mapping Work?
This special mapping system was created with help from Victoria University's Sir Zelman Cowen Centre and Iconix. They received money from the William Buckland Foundation to develop this geographic information system (GIS). A GIS is like a smart map that can store lots of information about different places.
The system allows the Wadawurrung people to:
- Find and mark important sites on a map.
- Keep control over all the information about these sites.
- Share this information with groups that manage land, like Parks Victoria.
What Kinds of Sites Are Mapped?
Some cultural sites are easy to spot, but others are not. For example, a corroboree tree was a special meeting place for trading goods and holding dances. One such red gum tree is over one hundred years old and stands in Buninyong, right in the middle of a busy street.
Using the software, the Wadawurrung people can:
- Clearly identify these sites.
- Keep track of their condition.
- Record how they are being looked after.
- Take photos of the sites.
They can also collect "oral histories," which are stories and memories passed down by elders. These stories help explain why a site is important. This mapping software has even won awards from the National Trust of Australia and the City of Ballarat!
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