Child & Family Services - AcknowledgementPrint Page

The glass plaque acknowledges the Wathaurong People as the traditional owners on which their building stands. 

Child and Family Services (CAFS) Ballarat acknowledged the traditional Aboriginal owners of land where its offices stand as part of Sorry Day yesterday.

Aboriginal elder Ted Lovett revealed a glass plaque emblazoned with the words "We acknowledge the Wathaurong people as the traditional owners of these lands and waters", which is on display in Ludbrook House."People talk about country in the same way they'd talk about a person," he said."The land is a powerful healer."We do not own the land, the land owns us."

Similar glass plaques will also feature in the other CAFS offices in the district, including the Chisholm St Centre, Daylesford, Bacchus Marsh and Ararat offices.CAFS chief executive officer Kevin Zibell said the 10-year anniversary of Sorry Day was an important milestone to acknowledge."It's a matter of cultural significance," he said.

CAFS Ballarat representative Dawn Lyons said the idea came from the Indigenous Action Group at CAFS."Our plaque has the symbol of the platypus because the Wathaurong people came from many different places. This is still symbolic of Ballarat today, because the people here have come from everywhere."
The Courier, 2 November 2013.

 

Location

Address:	4 Banfield Street, CAFS , Ararat , 3377
State:	VIC
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -37.283451 Long: 142.925451 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Plaque
Monument Theme:	Culture
Sub-Theme:	Indigenous

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:	2013

Source: MA