For Aboriginal people the place now known as 'Victoria' has been home since the beginning of time.

Archeological evidence reveals a connection extending beyond 40,000 years. Ancestors of today’s communities witnessed volcanic eruptions of Tapook (Mt. Napier) in the west. They also hunted giant kangaroos and worried over the rising seas, which marked the end of the last Ice Age.

Today, Aboriginal concerns are about self-determination, restoring their lands and living their culture.

It is estimated that between 20,000 and 60,000 people, speaking over 30 languages, lived throughout 'Victoria' when Europeans arrived in 1835. The rapid colonisation resulted in a devastating loss of languages, traditions and lives. During this violent period of Victorian history, families were forced off their lands and on to missions. These were bitter-sweet places. They were a home and haven from the violence but also a place where there was little choice except conformity with Christianity and Western ways. Ironically, it was from these missions that well-known activists rose to fight for better conditions for their people.

Today well over 25,000 Aboriginal people live throughout Victoria, and this number is growing.

More information about Victorian Aboriginal Peoples, incuding a map, is included on this brochure. (PDF 296kb)