Bad spirits were warded off Greater Shepparton City Council's Welsford St offices yesterday as the council acknowledged the site as an ancient Aboriginal burial ground.
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A presentation followed by a smoking ceremony around Queen's Gardens and inside the council building aimed to cut the distressing and painful barriers indigenous people have with the site.
Aunty Ella Anselmi said she had known about the site since she was a young girl after her mother and grandmother told her about its cultural significance.
“One night I was out the back of the building and something felt wrong, something brushed past me,” Aunty Ella said.
“I have talked to other non-Aboriginal people and they also said they have had the same thing happen to them,” she said.
Council has acknowledged that having the offices on a significant site can be a painful and distressing barrier for many indigenous people.
The recognition of the site comes as the council begins to focus on truth telling as part of its Reconciliation Action Plan which was adopted in June.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O’Keeffe attended the ceremony and said the council wanted to continue the movement around truth telling.
“We know smoking this building may not cure all the pain and distress felt by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in our region towards the building, but we want to continue to make an effort in breaking down barriers,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
A plaque acknowledging the importance of the site will be placed at the front of the building.
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