Why You Need To Visit The Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

In collaboration with 16 Elders and representatives from the Yulendj Group, First Peoples opened in 2013 as a permanent exhibition celebrating the history, culture, and survival of Aboriginal Victoria from the Creation time to now. As you enter into Wominjeka, the greeting area of the exhibition, you will meet members of the Indigenous community aged 8-72 in Deep Listening and hear the 38 languages spoken by Victorian Aboriginals. Accompanied by a virtual guide known as Messenger, you will discover the customs of the Koori people and learn how their lives were impacted by European settlement. In Generations, you’ll hear stories passed from generations of yesterday to generations of tomorrow, presented alongside a collection of photographs. And in Many Nations, you can view over 600 artefacts significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Wurreka, meaning ‘to speak’ in Wemba Wemba, is a tapestry of 74 etched zinc panels that stretch across a curved interior wall in the Birrarung Gallery. Searching for a purpose for the curved wall, the museum ran a design competition. The winning entry was sent by Waanyi artist Judy Watson from Queensland, who went on to spend time observing the local Victorian landscape and visiting culturally significant Aboriginal sites.

Every day at 1:45 pm, museum visitors are invited to watch as the short-finned eels in Milarri Pond scoff down their lunch. Their feeder will explain the significance of eels to Indigenous Australians, and you’ll learn about their life cycles and migration patterns up and down the east coast of Australia. Keep an eye out for the pond’s other residents, native silver perch and Macquarie turtles.

Explore the Indigenous garden and learn about the importance of waterways and the many traditional uses of native Aboriginal plants as you venture through Milarri Garden on a self-guided trail. On the walk, you will encounter sculptures, a cave with Indigenous paintings, and live animals. The trail through Milarri Gardens connects into the Forest Gallery where there are nine points of interests.

Starting on September 28, 2016, award-winning artist Bronwyn Razem will be imparting weaving techniques in a series of two-hour workshops suitable for those aged 12 and older. The free workshop (included in the museum admission) will teach you traditional and contemporary Indigenous weaving techniques, and you’ll get to make your very own woven artwork to take home.