The enduring significance of Coranderrk

Indigenous Australian woman painting
Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/aborigine-art-culture-painting-5273115/

Nestled in the heart of Victoria, Australia lies a historic Indigenous settlement that has left an indelible mark on the nation's history.

 

Coranderrk, a thriving community of Aboriginal people, was established in the 1860s, despite the odds stacked against its survival.

 

It was a place where Indigenous people could gather, live and work on their own terms, and practice their traditional customs and beliefs.

 

Over the years, Coranderrk became a beacon of hope and resilience, inspiring a movement for Indigenous rights and social justice that continues to this day.

What was Coranderrk?

Coranderrk was an Aboriginal reserve located in Victoria, Australia, which played a significant role in the history of Indigenous rights and land ownership in the late 19th century.

 

The reserve was established in 1863 by the colonial government of Victoria as a place for displaced Wurundjeri people to live.

 

The Wurundjeri people were the traditional owners of the land on which Melbourne now stands.

 

However, as a result of the colonial expansion and dispossession, they were forced to move further afield, and many ended up living on the fringes of white society in conditions of poverty and disadvantage.

At Coranderrk, the Wurundjeri people were given a small parcel of land that they could call their own.

 

This land was situated in the Yarra Valley, not far from Melbourne, and provided a secure base for the people to rebuild their lives and culture.

 

Over time, the reserve grew to include several thousand acres of land, and the Wurundjeri people developed a successful farming and grazing industry, selling produce to the Melbourne market.

Struggles

Despite the success of the Coranderrk experiment, it was not without its challenges.

 

In the early years, the government provided little support to the residents of the reserve, and many struggled to make ends meet.

 

The Wurundjeri people were also subject to discrimination and prejudice from white society, and many were denied basic rights such as the right to freedom of movement.

The government appointed a Scottish preacher, called John Green, to oversee the reserve.

 

Green allowed the indigenous peoples a lot of autonomy, which helped Coranderrk thrive.  

 

Unfortunately, Green resigned in 1874 after some board members undermined his authority.

 

The replacement managers we far more authoritarian and removed many of the freedoms the indigenous people had enjoyed previously. 

 

They punished residents, cut food supplies, neglected housing, medical care and clothing.


Despite these challenges, the people of Coranderrk were determined to fight for their rights and their land.

 

During the 1870s and 1880s, under the leadership of William Barak, a Wurundjeri elder, they submitted a series of petitions, asking to the government demanding that their treatment be reviewed by government authorities.

 

An investigation was launched in 1877, but it did not have the intended effect. Instead of fixing the problems, the government introduced a new law that required any indigenous person who did not have parents who were both indigenous to be removed from the reserve.

 

As a result, the numbers of workers on the reserved was halved. Coupled with the ongoing poor treatment, Coranderrk was caught in a downward spiral of horrid conditions and dwindling people numbers.

 

This is something it wouldn't recover from.


The end of Coranderrk

Coranderrk was closed in 1924 due to pressure from the Board for the Protection of Aborigines, which sought to consolidate Indigenous people into larger reserves and assimilate them into European culture.

 

Despite strong opposition and protests from the Coranderrk community, the board forcibly removed the residents and transferred them to other reserves, effectively ending Coranderrk as a self-sufficient Indigenous settlement.

The long-term significance of Coranderrk lies in its legacy as a powerful symbol of Indigenous resilience, resistance, and self-determination.

 

Despite the many challenges and injustices faced by its residents, Coranderrk became a beacon of hope for Indigenous communities across Australia, inspiring a movement for land rights and social justice that continues to this day.

 

The story of Coranderrk also highlights the ongoing struggle for recognition, reconciliation, and healing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Australia and serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting and preserving Indigenous cultures, traditions, and identities.