Staff and volunteers from Corio, Little River, Lara and Freshwater Creek brigades recently spent two evenings with Uncle Bryon Powell, Aboriginal Elder from the Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation, as part of CFA’s Koori Cultural Awareness Program.
The second session involved a visit to a big old scarred tree, where Uncle Bryon talked about its history and significance to Aboriginal people and to the local area. One long-term resident and Freshwater Creek Brigade member shared memories of the tree from his childhood – when his school teacher would talk about it during walks along the creek with his class 70 years ago!
The stories and knowledge shared by Uncle Bryon during these sessions provided fascinating insights into our local landscapes, the living culture of Koori people and our shared interest in fire.
It has been a wonderful program that has generated much interest, so much so that we are currently planning another outing to further our awareness within our own area.
These sessions were organised by District 7 Volunteerism Coordinator, Alistair Drayton, and enquiries about the state-wide program can be made to Angela Cook at CFA Communities & Communication: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Author: Angela Cook