A series of four posters that highlight the nature of Australia for a tourism campaign to encourage those living in Australia to travel within the country in a post COVID-19 world. This poster series looks specifically at Wurundjeri Country. I thought that by incorporating Woiwurrung words, this could facilitate curiosity in others wanting to know more about Wurundjeri culture and practices. I have found personally when visiting another country, learning small words and phrases have increased my care towards Country and encouraged me to learn.
Yearmeenbik = Earth
The Wurundjeri People take their name from the Woiwurrung language word ‘wurun’ meaning the Manna Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) which is common along ‘Birrarung’ (Yarra River), and ‘djeri‘, the grub which is found in or near the tree. Wurundjeri are the ‘Witchetty Grub People’ and their Ancestors have lived on this land for many years. (Reference: https://www.wurundjeri.com.au/our-story/ancestors-past/)
The Yearmeenbik (Earth) poster is an image of Manna Gum.
Wiin = Fire
Excerpts from Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu: “...first-hand accounts of settlers and explorers indicate that a mosaic pattern of low level burn.”
“Almost all early European visitors to Australia remarked on the frequency of small scale burning.”
“The practice was to burn the country as often as possible...in the hottest and driest weather in January and February, so that the fire would be as hot as possible, and thus make a clean burn.”
“The Aboriginal approach to fire worked on five principles. One, the majority of the agricultural lands were fired on a rotating mosaic, which controlled intensity, and allowed plants and animals to survive in refuges. Two, the time of the year when fires were lit depended on the type of country to be burnt and the condition of the bush at the time. Three, the prevailing weather was crucial to the timing of the burn. Four, neighbouring clans were advised of all fire activity. Five, the growing season of particular plants was avoided at all costs.” (Reference: Pascoe, B. (2014). Dark emu (6th ed., pp. 163-166). Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation.)
The Wiin (Fire) poster is also a satellite image from Google of patch mosaic burning in the Great Sandy Desert region, in Western Australia.
Baan = Water
The Birrarung — River of Mists which is also known as the Yarra River has great cultural and spiritual relevance to the Wurundjeri people. Though traditionally in Western culture ‘nature’ and ‘culture’ are often two separate concepts. However, for the Wurundjeri community there is no divide between ‘nature’ and ‘culture’. “The natural world is a cultural world...” (Reference: Griffin, Darren & Freedman, Delta & Nicholson, Bill & Mcconachie, Fiona & Parmington, Alexander. (2013). The Koorong Project: experimental archaeology and Wurundjeri continuation of cultural practices. Excavations, Surveys and Heritage Management in Victoria, Volume 2.)
The Baan (Water) poster is a satellite image from Google of the Yarra Bend Park.
The Murnmut/Gurrin (Wind) poster is a weather map of wind across Wurundjeri Country.
The previous three posters framed the direction for the wind poster. Unlike fire, water and earth, I have not learnt a lot about wind. Again I used the same treatment across all the images.
Thank you to Aunty Gail who kindly gave me the Woiwurrung translation for this poster.
