9.4 Monuments in Moonee Ponds Podcast

Reflection

Early in the semester of HIS3MHI, we were examining monuments as a means of representing history. As a long-time resident of Moonee Ponds, I was drawn to a particular monument that sits in a somewhat inaccessible position on the median strip of Mount Alexander Road. Marking the first camping site of the doomed Burke and Wills expedition from the 1860s, the monument got me wondering about my own family history and what impact their arrival may have had on the First Nations people of Victoria. As a result, I felt compelled in this podcast to examine the impact of colonialism in Victoria on the Wurundjeri, who have inhabited this area in which I grew up for thousands of years. What I learned was a story of disease and colonial condescension, but also perseverance.

While the podcast itself covers the first, difficult century of occupation for the Wurundjeri, their story does not end there. Indeed, that story of resilience in the face of institutional abuse deserves a podcast of its own. In the meantime, I would encourage listeners to read the 1997 “Bringing Them Home Report”, and explore the reports of the Yoorook Justice Commission in Victoria, to hear First Nations people’s experience from their own perspective.