Dja Dja Wurrung Recognition and Settlement Agreement signing

28 March 2013

On this day, the Dja Dja Wurrung Recognition and Settlement Agreement was signed with the Victorian Government. The agreement recognised Dja Dja Wurrung connection to Country and established a framework for rights, responsibilities and a greater role in caring for Djandak.

A long journey towards recognition

The signing followed years of work by Dja Dja Wurrung people. Their own account of the settlement places it within a much longer story of connection, advocacy and the pursuit of recognition. The agreement settled four native title claims and was the first comprehensive settlement under Victoria’s Traditional Owner Settlement Act framework.

This calendar date marks the signing. The agreement commenced on 24 October 2013. Keeping those dates distinct avoids confusing the public milestone with the later start of the agreement’s operation.

Country, rights and responsibility

The settlement includes arrangements relating to Crown land and waters, access to resources and participation in managing Country. It should not be reduced to a single transfer or a simple claim that all outstanding issues were resolved. Its meaning is best understood through Dja Dja Wurrung explanations of their own rights, aspirations and responsibilities.

Connection to Country did not begin when the agreement was signed. Legal recognition acknowledges relationships and responsibilities that already existed. This distinction matters when teaching or discussing agreements: government recognition is not the source of a people’s identity or belonging.

Reflecting on the anniversary

Begin with Dja Dja Wurrung voices and their account of the road to settlement. Consider what meaningful participation in caring for Country looks like, and how institutions can respect Traditional Owner knowledge and authority in everyday decisions.

The anniversary also provides an opportunity to distinguish between recognition on paper and the continuing work of putting an agreement into practice. Listening to community-defined priorities helps keep the focus on living relationships rather than treating settlement as a finished historical story.

Continue learning

Somebody’s Land, by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing, offers a broader introduction to Country and the idea of terra nullius. It is a thematic learning connection, not an account of this settlement or its legal provisions.

Sources and further reading

Dja Dja Wurrung: The road to the RSA; Victorian Government: Recognition and Settlement Agreement.