Descendants Day Hearing, 4 Sep 2024
Content warning: Please note the following contains historic language and events that may cause distress to First Peoples. Non-Indigenous witnesses gave evidence to Victoria’s truth-telling process about State’s colonial past at a Descendants Day hearing at Yoorrook Justice Commission. Witnesses included:
- Elizabeth Balderstone, the current owner of a property in Gippsland on which the ‘Warrigal Creek’ massacre occurred in 1843.
- Peter Sharp, a great grandson of former Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, who has researched Deakin’s involvement in the passage of the Aborigines Protection Act 1886.
- Dr Katrina Kell, a researcher, author and fourth-generation matrilineal descendant of Captain James Liddell, who brought Edward Henty to Gunditjmara Country in November 1834 on board ‘the Thistle’, leading to the first permanent European settlement in what would become the State of Victoria.
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Yoorrook for Transformation
Third Interim Report: A five-volume comprehensive reform report presenting evidence and findings on systemic injustices, and specific recommendations for meaningful change to transform the future.
Truth Be Told
An official public record that documents First Peoples experiences since colonisation, preserves crucial testimonies for future generations and creates an enduring resource for education and understanding.
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Yoorrook Justice Commission’s recommendations for truth-telling, justice, and systemic reform in Victoria.
