Traditional Owners & languages of our campuses

Close to our City Campus lies the banks of the Birrarung Marr. The traditional name of the Yarra River that flows through Melbourne city; 'marr' refers to the mist that sometimes settles over the Birrarung. Loosely the words are translated to 'river of mists'.

The river was called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung people who lived in the Yarra Valley and much of Central Victoria prior to European settlement. Europeans gave the name 'Yarra Yarra' believing that this was the name for the river in the Boonwurrung language. However, it’s believed that Yarra means waterfall, flow, or refers to running or falling water, descriptive of any river or creek in the area. Prior to European settlement the river was once an eel breeding ground alive with sharks, stingrays and dolphins.

Travel to our Footscray campuses via Wurundjeri Way – a 1.9-kilometre road running from the CBD towards Melbourne’s west. The road was named in honour of the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung people, Traditional Owners of the region for 65,000 years.

• Footscray Park
• Footscray Nicholson

The area around Footscray has been home to the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung people for over 40,000 years.

The Maribyrnong River’s name comes from the Aboriginal term ‘Mirring-gnay-bir-nong’, which translates as ‘I can hear a ringtail possum’. Shell middens and surface scatters have been recorded near the river.

Many scar trees remain along the river's banks. Canoes were made from bark that was removed from the tree with a tomahawk and pole. Bark was also used to build shields, containers and temporary shelters. Fish and eels were a large component of the Aboriginal people’s diet. These were caught with spears and sophisticated traps made from woven plant fibres and stones.

• St Albans
• Sunshine

Brimbank Council lies within the area occupied by the Kurung-Jang-Balluk and Marin-Balluk clans of the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung people. These clan groups form part of the larger Kulin Nation. Other groups who occupied land in the area include the Yalukit-Willam and Marpeang-Bulluk clans.

A total of 157 registered Aboriginal archaeological sites exist within Brimbank. The oldest artefacts found are over 30,000 years old. These include bone remnants, ochre, charcoal and hearth stones. A small number of formal tools have also been found, including blades and scrapers.

Indigenous Australian grasslands are still remnant outside of the Iramoo site – centre for environmental conservation and sustainability at VU's St Albans Campus. Iramoo means 'grassy plains' in the Woiwurrung language. Read about how the Iramoo Native Plant Nursery is working to restore and protect the grassland at St Albans.

The Wadawurrung, Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung language groups lived throughout the Werribee region. Recently the State Government Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council assigned the cultural heritage management of Werribee to the Bunurong Aboriginal Land Council.

The name Werribee means ‘backbone’ or ‘spine’ in traditional language. It is thought that this name comes from the shape of the Werribee River valley, which looks like a backbone.

Koori burials were discovered during sand mining close to the Werribee River. The burials were about 7,300 years old.

Victoria University’s Sydney campus is situated on the traditional lands of the Gadigal and Guring-gai of the Eora Nation. In traditional language, Eora means ‘here’ or ‘from this place’.

Some of Sydney’s main thoroughfares – including nearby King Street, George and Oxford Streets – are said to have followed Aboriginal tracks that served as trading routes between farmed grasslands or fishing areas.

The Aboriginal name for Sydney Cove was reported as Warrane, also spelt War-ran, Warrang and Weerong. This place is highly significant to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people as a site of first contact between the Eora and the Berewalgal (meaning people from a distant place: the Europeans).

There are around 20 recorded archaeological sites within the boundaries of the City of Sydney local government area comprising middens, rock engravings, open campsites and burial sites.