When we hear the phrase “Gunaikurnai Country,” most of us probably think about iconic natural areas in Gippsland like the Den of Nargun, Tarra-Bulga National Park and the Buchan Valley.
But for Gunaikurnai, the sea and waterways of this area have been important parts of everyday life for tens of thousands of years, as diverse cultural landscapes offering abundant resources, and as pathways for travel that were imbued with great significance.
In recent years the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) has developed a growing focus on Sea Country, which includes the sea and coastal environment, as well as seagrass beds, dunes, estuaries and bays, and coastal wetlands.
That work has included cultural mapping and archaeological surveying of waterways and offshore areas, including many places that were dry land before the current sea level stabilised about 5000 years ago.
It has also included the development of a Sea Country Indigenous Protection Area along the Gippsland coast, and a trial of oyster farming in the Gippsland Lakes.
For GLaWAC’s On Country Rangers, this expanding work in marine environments has required them to develop a whole new set of skills and qualifications.
Early in December GLaWAC On Country Rangers Tyler Hood, Kobi Cook, Kevin Hood, Logan Hudson, Shakiah Tungai, John Baxter and Anthony Mobourne completed Elements of Shipboard Safety training.
Delivered through TAFE Gippsland’s Seamec campus in Lakes Entrance and supported by Latrobe City Council’s Steps to the Future program, the training included rescue drills, survival techniques, fire-safety exercises, abandon-ship practice and life-raft operations.
This training brings these rangers a step closer to their Coxswain Grade 2 certification.
With three GLaWAC On Country Rangers already with their Coxswain ticket, and one more on the way, that would bring to 11 the number of GLaWAC Rangers qualified to command and operate small commercial vessels.
“I’m out on the boats a lot already, working on the oyster trial project, so I’ll be using these skills straight away,” Tyler Hood said.
“Being out on the water means I’m always getting to know the local area better – learning parts of country that you can’t easily reach by land.”
GLaWAC On Country Ranger Manager Russell Dow said that when the rangers add marine qualifications to their skill set it means GLaWAC is better able to support Sea Country management, care for local waterways, and unlock emerging opportunities in sustainable aquaculture and cultural tourism.
“It’s about expanding what we can do as Rangers, and keeping knowledge and capability within community,” Russell said.
“Recognised qualifications open doors for mob and strengthen our organisation. When you add marine safety to what the crews already know, it supports self-determination by helping us grow our capability and extend our reach.”
