Hepburn Shire Council is moving to include cultural acknowledgement into signage across the Shire. Council commissioned Aboriginal Acknowledgment Graphics to be used on public signage, electronic and print media and documents. The graphics were designed by a Djaara graphic designer to represent Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
Individuals can also acknowledge cultural heritage each time they send a letter or parcel in Australia by including the Traditional Place name in the mailing address. Using the Traditional Place name in addresses acknowledges and celebrates the fact that each area in Australia had a name given by Indigenous Australians prior to colonisation.
To mark NAIDOC Week in November 2020, Australia Post updated their addressing guidelines to include Traditional Place names. Australia Post is also updating 22 of its satchels’ labels to include Acknowledgement of Country and a dedicated Traditional Place name field in the address panel.
To find an area’s Traditional Place name, you can check the AIATSIS map which shows the general locations of larger groups of people.
To use a Traditional Place name in an address label, write the Traditional Place name between the recipient’s name and their street address. For example:
Hepburn Shire Council
Dja Dja Wurrung Country
1 Duke Street
Daylesford 3460 Victoria
Australia Post National Indigenous Manager, Chris Heelan, says, “We’re proud of our history of promoting and celebrating Indigenous culture, and will continue to contribute to long-term reconciliation.”
