The Bunurong peoples have an ongoing social, cultural, spiritual and economic connection to this place where the Birrarung (Yarra River) flows into Naarrm (Port Phillip Bay). The story of the inundation of Naarrm is told through oral tradition. Around 5000 years ago sea levels began to rise, transforming what was once a dry, low-lying area into a vast river plain of wetlands and sand dunes densely covered with melaleuca, tea-tree and coastal banksia, and abundant with wildlife, before forming as the bay as we know today.

Language is sacred and an integral part of Bunurong Country. For this reason, place names connect Bunurong peoples, stories and Country through time, highlighting the importance of places as sites of gathering, culture and identity.

The systematic destruction of Bunurong people and culture by colonial forces over the past two centuries has resulted in significant loss of language. The limited records available today of Boonwurrung language are primarily located in the notes and journals of early colonists. Many of these colonists only spoke English and did not have a good ear for the complex sounds of Boonwurrung language.

The process of determining an appropriate Boonwurrung name is complex, as it is necessary to ensure accuracy, consistency and engagement with community for all words.

The naming of places in Boonwurrung language is an essential part of ongoing truth-telling and education efforts. It is a means by which Bunurong people can proudly express their cultural identity and heritage.

Fishermans Bend has long been a site of deep cultural significance to the Wurundjeri people. Spiritual connection to this area has been expressed in Wurundjeri lore, language, and story as the place where the Birrarung (Yarra River) finally rests after its long journey across Wurundjeri Country from its source at Mt Baw Baw.

Wurundjeri creation stories, passed down from Ancestors in the Woi-wurrung language, explain the birth, life and relationship between the river and its surrounds, including as a life source that has sustained the Wurundjeri people for many thousands of years. Influential Wurundjeri ngurungaeta (headman) Billibilleri passed down the story of the origin and evolution of Wurundjeri Country, from ancient volcanic activity to lava-flows and the formation of the Birrarung.

The Birrarung, which translates in Woi-wurrung as the river of mist and shadows, flows out through Fishermans Bend to Hobsons Bay from its source in the Yarra Rangers at the southern side of the Great Dividing Range. The geology of the Birrarung and Fishermans Bend has changed greatly since European settlement. Originally the site was a swamp where Wurundjeri clans would fish for eels.

Wurundjeri Elders and community are still very much engaged in the protection and preservation of the Yarra River and continue to have intimate knowledge of and connection to their waterways. Elders still have a role to play in the management of the river both academically, culturally and spiritually through both the Yarra River Protection Act and the Birrarung Council, advising government ministers on ways of working with the river and it’s surrounds.

This is expressed in many different ways in contemporary naarm (Melbourne), such as the naming of places and the use of the Woi-wurrung language across Country in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous spaces. The use and importance of language keeps the spirit of the Ancestors alive and ensures Wurundjeri people continue to feel connected to Country and Culture.