DJAARA

DJAARA The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation is now trading as DJAARA. We proudly strive to represent Dja Dja Wurrung People.

We are a Traditional Owner Group Entity under our Recognition and Settlement Agreement 2013.

Thank you V/Line for walking with us in caring for Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country). We're pleased to be ngaldurrong ya...
03/06/2026

Thank you V/Line for walking with us in caring for Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country).

We're pleased to be ngaldurrong yana (walking together), so that DJAARA can use Country's resources for the benefit of all, and honour these trees.

Meaningful actions like this show that we are right on track. 🚂

We’re starting work this week to deliver a new Dja Dja Wurrung-inspired shelter in Rosalind Park. It will function as a ...
27/05/2026

We’re starting work this week to deliver a new Dja Dja Wurrung-inspired shelter in Rosalind Park.
It will function as a space for performances and events and as a gathering space for the whole community to enjoy.

The new shelter will replace the old pergola near the entrance to Bendigo Senior Secondary College entrance, which has reached the end of its life.

We’re proud to deliver a Dja Dja Wurrung-inspired space for the whole community to gather and connect.

🪶 Works will be carried out on weekdays between 7:30am and 4:30pm.
🪶 Construction expected to be complete by the end of July.

Temporary fencing will be installed to contain the worksite. Works will not encroach on any pathways within Rosalind Park.

Movement of equipment in and out of the worksite will be completed under a traffic management plan. Care will be taken to minimise disruption to people using Rosalind Park; however, people may experience some noise from equipment and, at times, movement of equipment.

A tree behind the stone wall will have 1000mm of foliage removed under supervision of an arborist from the City of Greater Bendigo. This is needed to enable access for equipment to install a concrete drain.

This project has been made possible through a grant from the Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions. It is being delivered by DJANDAK, an enterprise of DJAARA, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation.

We start off Reconciliation Week strong with Sorry Day. Today we remember the Stolen Generations, the children who were ...
26/05/2026

We start off Reconciliation Week strong with Sorry Day. Today we remember the Stolen Generations, the children who were taken from their families, their Country, their belonging. Who were forbidden the right of their language and identity, leaving many lost and wandering, wondering. 

Sorry Day is one day we can collectively acknowledge and recognise the pain of families and those who are still picking up the pieces to figure out how they fit in. To know who is brother and sister.  

It is not a day of blame and pointing the finger but a day of recognition: to sit with the truth of what happened in the past, and the impact it has on individuals today. Sorry Day is a day to show acknowledgement and support for what someone has been through, and to recommit to a long, continuous journey of healing. 

The journey of healing is long, but it leads us to ‘why’. Why we fight for Treaty, care for Country, revive language and why we all strive to walk together as one.  

Let us walk together and support one another as days go by, unconditionally. Shaping a brighter future. 

And for today, we say Sorry. 
Because the past shapes the present, and with time, this current moment will long be in the past too, and we can only hope our support will shape a better present and future for years to come. 🪶🪶🪶
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 
We know days like this may bring up a lot of feelings and grief. We encourage you to allow yourself to feel and debrief with a trusted loved one. Please, batak (take care) - look after yourself, your family, your friends. This can look like a good conversation with a close person in your life, no shame in a hug, or it can look like relaxing with a comfort series tonight. Getting around the table and having a game night, listening to your old playlist, or having a night walk on Country.

20/05/2026

Join Council and DJAARA in honouring Guildford’s Big Tree🌳

During Reconciliation Week 2026 we come together to honour the ancient Guildford Biyal (Red Gum) at a free community event.

Believed to be between 500 and 1,000 years old, the Guildford Biyal is one of the largest river red gums in Victoria and is listed on the National Trust’s Register of Significant Trees. Sacred to the Dja Dja Wurrung People, the tree stands as a marker of culturally significant places and an enduring link between the local community and the Traditional Owners of this land.

Guildford Biyal (Red gum) Honouring Day
When: 11.00am -2.00pm, Sunday 31 May
Where: 13 Fryers Street, Guildford

Read more www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Biyal-Honouring-Day-2026.

🌳 In a small town between Castlemaine and Daylesford, an ancient Biyal (Red gum) - affectionately known as the Guildford...
18/05/2026

🌳 In a small town between Castlemaine and Daylesford, an ancient Biyal (Red gum) - affectionately known as the Guildford Big Tree - has stood tall, watching the seasons change as life moves beneath it.

In 2024, the Biyal experienced limb drop. What could have been a loss became an invitation - to care for Country, to honour what the Biyal had given, and to bring a community together in the process.

DJAARA Timbers salvaged the fallen limb and, working with local Elders and crafters, has turned that timber into something new - a Reconciliation Seat that will be placed at the Biyal and serve as a meeting point for generations to come.

In the two years since the limb drop, a community has gathered to care for the Biyal – just as Djaara have always gathered here. This tree carries deep cultural significance for Dja Dja Wurrung People, and we know it holds something for everyone who has ever stopped beneath its canopy.

Here is a photo story that speaks to the last two years – but just as two years is a drop in the bucket to a tree this old, we know there is more to the story.

If you have a photo of this tree - taken last week, or twenty years ago - tag with the hashtag – we’d love to share your part of the story in the lead-up to the Guildford Biyal Honouring Day. 🌳

🦅 Join us on Sunday, 31 May to witness the Reconciliation Seat coming home.

🌳 Guildford Biyal (Red gum) Honouring Day | 11am to 2pm | 13 Fryers St, Guildford | Smoking Ceremony begins at 11:30am.

👣 Welcome to Country, Djaara Women's dancers, live music, First Nations stalls - and a free BBQ from our friends at Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative and Bendigo Aboriginal Men's Shed.

📢 There will be road closures during the event to create an ‘Honouring Avenue’ as the Seat is brought back to the Biyal. Please arrive early - we want you there to be a part of it.

☀️ Make a day of it and bike ride to the event. Carpooling and BYO picnics are encouraged. There will be coffee, so bring your keep cup.

🖤 All are welcome. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you in good spirit.

🪵

🤝 This community event is delivered in partnership with Mount Alexander Shire Council as a part of their Reconciliation Week Program - with support from Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-Operative, Bendigo Aboriginal Men's Shed and Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation.

13/05/2026

DJAARA plans to conduct Djandak Wi (a Dja Dja Wurrung cultural burn) tomorrow at Paddys Ranges in partnership with Forest Fire Management Victoria.

🪶 Proposed burn date - 14 May
🪶 Location: 3.1km E of Daisy Hill
🪶 Size: 1.25ha

Djandak Wi is a slow, gentle burn – however, you may see or smell smoke.

📞 If you experience symptoms that may be due to smoke exposure, seek medical advice or call NURSE-ON-CALL 1300 60 60 24

🦅 Djandak Wi means ‘Country Fire’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language. It is a cool, slow, patchy burn to promote healthy Country.

🌱Cool fire stimulates growth and germination of native plants, and promotes biodiversity.
🌱Djandak Wi gently reduces fuel loads - protecting community and assets while respecting the needs of native plants and animals.

This traditional cultural practice holds significant spiritual, social, and ceremonial importance for Dja Dja Wurrung People as it has done for tens of thousands of years.

🔥 Learn more:
Read DJAARA’s Djandak Wi strategy here: https://bit.ly/4c9OOfG
Look up Forest Fire Management Victoria Planned Burns: https://plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au/

Djaara Mob: our journey to Treaty is moving - and we want you to be part of it.🦅 Local Treaty will be led by you mob - e...
12/05/2026

Djaara Mob: our journey to Treaty is moving - and we want you to be part of it.

🦅 Local Treaty will be led by you mob - everyone has a role to play.

Come along to the next Dja Dja Wurrung Treaty Group Meeting to listen, yarn and help shape what a Djaara Treaty looks like.

Thursday, 21 May from 10am to 4pm - at DUMAWUL Hub in Bendigo.

All DJAARA Members welcome.

🪶 To RSVP, contact Contact Cooper Craig-Peters:
E: [email protected]

DJAARA plans to conduct Djandak Wi (a Dja Dja Wurrung cultural burn) today at the Clunes-Lothair Reserve in partnership ...
23/04/2026

DJAARA plans to conduct Djandak Wi (a Dja Dja Wurrung cultural burn) today at the Clunes-Lothair Reserve in partnership with Forest Fire Management Victoria.

🪶 Proposed burn date: Thursday 23rd
🪶 Size: 12.66 Ha
🪶 Location: 1KM SW of Clunes

Djandak Wi is a slow, gentle burn – however, you may see or smell smoke.

📞 If you experience symptoms that may be due to smoke exposure, seek medical advice or call NURSE-ON-CALL 1300 60 60 24

🦅 Djandak Wi means ‘Country Fire’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language. It is a cool, slow, patchy burn to promote healthy Country.

🌱Cool fire stimulates growth and germination of native plants, and promotes biodiversity.
🌱Djandak Wi gently reduces fuel loads - protecting community and assets while respecting the needs of native plants and animals.

This traditional cultural practice holds significant spiritual, social, and ceremonial importance for Dja Dja Wurrung People as it has done for tens of thousands of years.

🔥 Learn more:
Read DJAARA's Djandak Wi strategy here: https://bit.ly/4c9OOfG
Look up Forest Fire Management Victoria Planned Burns: https://plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au/

This morning we joined our partners City of Greater Bendigo and North Central CMA (Catchment Management Authority) with ...
20/04/2026

This morning we joined our partners City of Greater Bendigo and North Central CMA (Catchment Management Authority) with Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters MP to announce the start of works on Yaram Yaram Bayikina ('Bendigo Creek Reawakening') project. 🤝

💧 The $7M project funded by the Australian Government is the next step in Reimagining Bendigo Creek - a visionary plan for a healthier, more inclusive and more connected creek.

While Yaram Yaram Bayikina is very much about reawakening the creek, it's also about reawakening people's relationship with the creek. For our mob, people are an integral part of Country and the health of both are intertwined. 🌱

🌾 We have a cultural obligation to make sure water is healthy for the mob downstream, and to leave healthy Country and healthy water for the next generation. Yaram Yaram Bayikina is a significant step towards healing Yaram Yaram (Bendigo Creek) from the devastating impact of gold mining.

We're pleased to be working with our partners on this important project - it's great to get started!

DJAARA plans to conduct Djandak Wi (a Dja Dja Wurrung cultural burn) in the coming days at the Hunter–Cohuna Railway Bus...
17/04/2026

DJAARA plans to conduct Djandak Wi (a Dja Dja Wurrung cultural burn) in the coming days at the Hunter–Cohuna Railway Bushland Reserve, in partnership with Forest Fire Management Victoria if conditions are right.

🪶 Proposed burn date: Monday 20 April, dependent on weather and conditions
🪶 Size: 15 Ha
🪶 Location: 10km NW of Elmore

Djandak Wi is a slow, gentle burn – however, you may see or smell smoke.

📞 If you experience symptoms that may be due to smoke exposure, seek medical advice or call NURSE-ON-CALL 1300 60 60 24

🦅 Djandak Wi means ‘Country Fire’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language. It is a cool, slow, patchy burn to promote healthy Country.

🌱Cool fire stimulates growth and germination of native plants, and promotes biodiversity.
🌱Djandak Wi gently reduces fuel loads - protecting community and assets while respecting the needs of native plants and animals.

This traditional cultural practice holds significant spiritual, social, and ceremonial importance for Dja Dja Wurrung People as it has done for tens of thousands of years.

🔥 Learn more:
Read DJAARA's Djandak Wi strategy here: https://bit.ly/4c9OOfG
Look up Forest Fire Management Victoria Planned Burns: https://plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au/

Address

PO Box 1026
Bendigo, VIC
3550

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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