By Jed Lanyon
Indigenous cultural burns returned to Coranderrk Station for the first time in about 160 years.
Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Dave Wandin led Indigenous students in a burn on Tuesday 20 April, which restored the cultural practice to the area.
Trust For Nature area manager Ben Cullen told Star Mail the conservation group had been supporting the class of Indigenous students who are studying their Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management.
“He (Uncle Dave Wandin) taught us what cultural burns mean and implemented a burn for us. We were walking around and lighting the fires and reinstating something that was banned on Coranderrk and hadn’t been done for about 160 years.”
Mr Cullen said it was a valuable lesson for the students.
“A lot of them said things like this was a passionate process for them and that they learned a lot from Uncle Dave and they were excited to take part in a cultural burn.
“We got some great feedback and it was a great chance for them to learn from Uncle Dave. He’s become a bit of an environmental celebrity in the Yarra Ranges.”
