In mid-December 2018 the Wurundjeri Tribe Land Compensation & Cultural Heritage Council’s Narrap (Land Management) Team hosted a lunch at the confluence of the Merri Creek and the Yarra River. A Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony from Uncle Dave Wandin provided a rich cultural context for the 23 participants.

During his Welcome to Country, Uncle Dave Wandin stood before the three eucalypts that were scarred by representatives of the Wandin, Terrick and Nevin Wurundjeri families in September 2016. He spoke about how the Narrap Team had developed from a base of two lawn mowers, a brush cutter and no depot. Narrap Team’s new manager, Sean Hunter, spoke about the strong future for the team with four trainees now working towards their Certificate IV in Conservation and Land Management.

This was the last event of the first year of a three year project funded by the City of Yarra’s Community Partnership Grant to Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC). The project brings MCMC together with Wurundjeri Council to celebrate the confluence area, environmentally and culturally, with others. Overall during 2018, 291 people participated in 16 project events.