To Come With Purpose
Created and first articulated by N’arweet Professor Carolyn Briggs AM, as a generous instruction to guide how we enter, listen, and connect on Country.
Bundjil taught the Boonwurrung to always welcome guests, but he required the Boonwurrung to ask all visitors to make two promises: to look after the land and the water, and to look after the children of Bundjil.
Boonwurrung land extends from the Werribee River through Melbourne City, along the coast of Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, all the way to Wilsons Promontory.
A long time ago, Port Phillip Bay was a large flat plain where the Boonwurrung would hunt kangaroos and cultivate their yam daisies. But one day, the land flooded as a result of the Boonwurrung breaking the laws of Bundjil. It stays flooded to remind the Boonwurrung of their promises to Bundjil.
We envision a world where Boonwurrung ancestors are acknowledged and respected. We strive to ensure that the good work of N'arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM and Caroline Martin is upheld and continued. Our mission is to ensure that future generations of the Boonwurrung are understood and accepted as the First People of Birrarung-ga (Melbourne), and all of Boonwurrung Country.
We invite all visitors to proudly share in Boonwurrung history, culture, and connection to Country. Our vision is to share Boonwurrung culture as a foundational part of our ongoing story.
