Management report to Council: City of Melbourne Submission to the Yoorrook Justice Commission
City of Melbourne10 September 2024
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Total copies: 1
Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners
The City of Melbourne respectfully acknowledges the Tradition Owners of the land we govern, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong/ Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin and Pays respect to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge and honour the unbroken spiritual, cultural and political connection they have maintained to this unique place for more than 2000 generations.
We accept the invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart and are committed to walking together to build a better future.
Title:
Management report to Council: City of Melbourne Submission to the Yoorrook Justice Commission
Creator:
Date of work:
10 September 2024
Reference number:
COM-REC CCL Yoorrook
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Textual material
Part of:
Sub-sub-collection: City of Melbourne Reconciliation (ABR - COM)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
Refer to individual item records for Use Restrictions.Please contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images. High resolution files may be held by City of Melbourne Libraries and available on request. Users must acknowledge City of Melbourne Libraries when reproducing items.
General notes:
Purpose and background1.The purpose of this report is to seek endorsement of the City of Melbourne’s submission (Submission)(attachment 2) to the Yoorrook Justice Commission (Yoorrook).2.Major initiative #23 is a commitment to: Explore and deliver opportunities for ‘truth-telling’ to facilitate learning, healing, and change within Melbourne and beyond. This will be an opportunity to impart knowledge of thousands of years of rich history, language and stories, as well as provide a form of restorative justice by acknowledging Aboriginals peoples’ experiences of dispossession and inequity. The City of Melbourne Annual Plan 2023-24 activities include the preparation of a submission to Yoorrook.3.Yoorrook is the first formal truth-telling process into historical and ongoing injustices experienced by First Peoples in Victoria. Yoorrook was set up by agreement between the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and the Victorian Government but operates independently of both. Yoorrook delivered an interim report in June 2023, a critical issues report in August 2023, and will deliver a final report in 2025. The work of Yoorrook includes:3.1. Establishing an official record of the impact of colonisation on First Peoples of Victoria.3.2. Developing a shared understanding among all Victorians of the impact of colonisation, as well asthe diversity, strength and resilience of First Peoples’ cultures.3.3. Making recommendations for healing, system reform and practical changes to laws, policy and education, as well as to matters to be included in future treaties.4.For historical context, Melbourne was incorporated as a town before the State of Victoria was established in 1851. The Council began as Melbourne Town Council in 1842, before becoming the Melbourne City Council in 1847.5.Historian Dr Amanda Lourie was contracted to undertake the research to inform the Submission, based on public documents sourced from the Public Records Office of Victoria, the National Archives of Australia, the National Library of Australia including Trove, and the State Library of Victoria. There search was time limited and therefore only preliminary in nature. As a result, further work is required before definitive conclusions or actions can be drawn. Nevertheless, the findings from the research inform the content of the Submission and provide guidance for further research.6.The Submission draws directly from the research sources, ensuring a more accurate understanding of what has been said and how Aboriginal people (and others) were written about in a colonial context. As the Submission relies heavily on the colonial sources, some of the Submission contains offensive and racist words and ideas. These words and ideas maintain their ability to harm and wound.
Form/Genre:
Record types:
Research and reports
Record number:
1770202
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | COM-REC CCL Yoorrook | 1 PDF : A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |