We Support
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Willum people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and play softball, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our community.
The Wurundjeri Willum clan speak the Woi wurrung language. The Woi wurrung is one of the many language groups that make up the Kulin Nation, whose people shared the same religion and language, and lived in what is now metropolitan and greater Melbourne.
The Wurundjeri Willum people have a strong connection to the land now known as the City of Whittlesea. They travelled the area in search of resources, fresh water, food and shelter; the Plenty River and many creeks offering various types of fish and birdlife. They held cultural ceremonies and conducted business and trade negotiations at sacred sites. Over 70 of these sites still exist in the City today, as well as many sacred ‘scarred’ trees.
Some Aboriginal clans believe that they are represented by native animals or a ‘moiety’ system. The people of the Kulin Nation were both Waang (the Australian Raven) and Bunjil (wedge-tail eagle – the creator) people. Marriage was regulated by the moiety system. Wurundjeri clan law said that there could only be marriage between different moieties. This meant that a Bunjil man could only marry a Waang woman and a Waang man could only marry a Bunjil woman. This kept the genetic variation strong.
There are currently between 1000 and 1500 Wurundjeri Willum people living in Victoria.
Below are some other common words in the Wurundjeri language - called Woi wurrung - and their English translation.
Source: The information above about Wurundjeri language was sourced from content on the www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au, which in turn was provided by Ian Hunter, member of the local Wurundjeri tribe, 2002.