Wathaurong
Traditional custodians of the Geelong region and western shores of Port Phillip Bay, the Wathaurong are Wadawurrung-speaking people of the Kulin nation.
The Wathaurong people The Wathaurong (also known as Wadawurrung) people are the Traditional Owners of a large area of western Victoria, stretching from the western shores of Port Phillip Bay through Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, west to Ballarat and the Otway Ranges. They are one of the five nations of the Eastern Kulin alliance, alongside the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, and Taungurung. Wathaurong country encompasses a remarkable diversity of landscapes — from the volcanic plains and crater lakes of the Western District to the coastal cliffs and estuaries of the Bellarine and Surf Coast. The Barwon River (Barwon Yulluk) and its tributaries were central to Wathaurong life, providing fish, eels, and freshwater resources. The You Yangs granite ridges were a significant cultural landmark visible from across the plains. Wathaurong people managed the landscape through sophisticated burning practices that maintained grasslands and open woodland. Today, the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (trading as Wadawurrung) leads cultural heritage management, language revitalisation, and land management across their traditional country. The Wadawurrung language is being actively revived through community programs, a language app, and partnerships with local institutions. Djilang (Geelong) remains at the heart of Wathaurong country.
Places to go
Djilang
Djilang is the Wadawurrung name for Geelong, meaning "tongue of land." The Wathaurong people of the Kulin nation have cared for this country along the western shores of Port Phillip Bay for tens of thousands of years.
Ballaarat
Ballarat, from the Wadawurrung word "Ballaarat" meaning "resting place," sits on the traditional lands of the Wathaurong people of the Kulin nation in western Victoria.
Made with love in Meanjin
Always will be is a privately run, Aboriginal owned and led project that aims to improve the connection people feel to country and the understanding people have about Aboriginal and Torres Strait cultures, history and people.