Elders share Wurundjeri history through new Docklands walking trail app

Development Victoria and the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation have launched a new walking trail app for Docklands in celebration of the area’s rich Indigenous history.

Docklanders and visitors to the precinct can now immerse themselves in a new cultural experience, which takes users to places of historical significance through the eyes of Wurundjeri people – the Traditional Custodians of these lands.   

Created in partnership with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, The Wurundjeri Docklands Trail takes people on a self-guided tour of culturally significant sites within Docklands, accompanied by audio recordings from Wurundjeri community and Elders.

Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Bill Nicholson Jr said he hoped the app would help listeners peel back the layers of the urban environment to understand the history and connection of the Wurundjeri people to the land for thousands of years.

Minister for Development Victoria Colin Brooks encouraged residents, workers, and visitors to take the time to experience the trail and, to “learn about the rich history of the Wurundjeri people and their connection to the Country now referred to as Docklands.”

Available on the Docklands Tours app, the trail tour offers an insight into the cultural and historical connections to the land that the Wurundjeri share.   

Beginning and ending at Harbour Esplanade, the tour takes about 30 minutes and includes geo-tagged locations and audio recordings for all 11 stops.

Member for Northern Metropolitan Region Sheena Watt said the app provided yet another reason for people to head down to Docklands and learn about its cultural significance to the Wurundjeri people. •

The Docklands Tours app can be downloaded on mobile phones or tablets from iTunes App Store or Google Play.