First Peoples’ knowledge
Museums Victoria walks in partnership with the First Peoples of this country; we place the knowledge and depth of their histories and living cultures at the core of Museums Victoria’s work across diverse platforms
Through our regional field work, there is an ongoing opportunity to connect with the oldest living culture in the world and the important cultural heritage of First Peoples’ communities in Victoria. Through Museums Victoria’s multidisciplinary approach to regional collaboration and engagement, we connect to First Peoples’ communities across the state, sharing in histories and knowledge.
Through our programs all people of regional Victoria also have increased access to understand First Peoples living cultures. An example of this impact included the 2017 expedition marking 160 years since William Blandowski explored the Murray River in 1856. A team of Museums Victoria scientists, historians and curators camped along the Murray to undertake a special anniversary project.
The field work included sciences, humanities and First Peoples’ teams along with local First Peoples Traditional Owners and culture and land experts to explore and profile the rich environment and natural histories of the region. A key component of the project was to connect in with local First Peoples’ communities sharing histories and acknowledging the role that their Ancestors played in the Blandowski expedition over 160 years prior.
As part of this work, Elder and Yulendj Member Aunty Esther Kirby and Museums Victoria’s senior curator of South Eastern Aboriginal Collections Kimberley Moulton hosted community history sessions on First Peoples history of the area and shared the collections and First Peoples exhibition at Museums Victoria. This included a display of Museums Victoria collections and Aunty Esther’s personal objects, comprising a contemporary emu feather skirt she had made that was later acquired into the State Collection. First Peoples’ exhibition images and multimedia were included throughout the sessions with Aunty Esther sharing with the community her knowledge of the local area and her work at Museums Victoria. The sessions included many non-Indigenous audience members of whom had not engaged with Aboriginal culture before.
Museums Victoria continues to work with First Peoples communities to strengthen relationships and to also engage non–Indigenous people with First Peoples’ cultures.