Heathmont College acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands that we are privileged to walk upon and learn on each day, which is the land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.  We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, who are our knowledge holders, story keepers and teachers. We thank them for looking after the land, sky and waterways, so we all can enjoy them, and so too can the generations to come. We recognise the special contributions of First Nations peoples and cultures, that enrich and shape the cultural identity of this nation.  

In March of 2022 the college held a smoking ceremony for the opening of our Indigenous Garden, here is a message from our students.

 Hello and Wominjeka. 

Wominjeka means ‘Welcome’ in Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.  

On behalf of Heathmont College, we would like to note that since the dawn of time, the sacred land on which our school is situated Always Was and Always Will Be Wurundjeri land.  

We would like to pay our respects to the traditional custodians who are guardians of this land, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and we acknowledge their Ancestors, Elders, Youth and Children; past, present and those of the future within their community. 

We recognise the many diverse and ongoing living cultures of all First Nations people of Australia.

It’s with appreciation we see their perseverance, strength and value their deep continuing spiritual connection to Country, Community, Animals, Skies, Stars and Waterways, as they belong to the oldest living culture in the world. The Heathmont College community is dedicated to embracing First Nation’s history and cultures by fostering respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people built on co-operation and trust.  

We all come from different places though we must work together on this shared learning journey to enrich our understandings and celebrate First Nation’s people and their cultures.

This land was never ceded, it Always Was and Always Will Be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.