First People

The Aboriginal people who lived in what we now know as the City of Hobsons Bay are known as the Yalukit-willam, a name meaning ‘river camp’ or ‘river dwellers’.

The language of the Melbourne people, includes three dialects, Daung wurrung, Woi wurrung, and Boon wurrung, and is part of a group of related languages collectively known as the Kulin group of languages, or the Kulin Nation. The three Melbourne dialects are referred to as the

East Kulin area.

 

The lands of the Kulin people occupied about two hundred kilometres of an area including greater Melbourne. White settlement resulted in a loss of access to traditional lands and many people died or were moved away.

Hobsons Bay City Council acknowledges the people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of this area.