An important element of teaching and learning within the School is to acknowledge Indigenous Connections to Country, and to work towards greater research, engagement and inclusion with Indigenous Australia.
Explore Indigenous connections to Country
Find out more about the physical and spiritual connections these lands hold and the histories behind them.
Walking in Country in Bolin, Bolin
Dr Michael Fletcher and Dean Stewart explores the history and environmental change experienced by the Bolin, Bolin wetlands.
Recognising Yarra Falls
Dr Lisa Palmer and Dean Stewart visit Enterprise Park in Melbourne, the site of a prehistoric waterfall and the place where Europeans and Indigenous first met.
Visiting Birrarung / Yarra Bend Park
Professor Lesley Head and Dean Stewart discuss physical and spiritual connections to Merri Creek and the Yarra River, as well as the place of Indigenous knowledge in Geographical studies.
Our commitments
The University of Melbourne prioritises purposeful and respectful engagement with Indigenous communities. Our formal commitments to reconciliation are outlined in our third Reconciliation Action Plan 2018- 2022 (PDF, 12MB).
The Faculty of Science's 2019–2022 Indigenous Strategic Plan outlines how we will deliver on our ambitions in the areas of Indigenous employment, students, and research. Faculty of Science staff can access the full Indigenous Strategic Plan on the staff intranet.
Initiatives and partnerships
Indigenous research
We aim to increase the visibility of Indigenous research through contributions to Indigenous knowledges and collaborations with Indigenous communities, contributing to projects of importance to their lives and aspirations. Find out more about Indigenous research in the Faculty of Science and the Indigenous Knowledge Institute, which is a research institute aiming to advance research and education in Indigenous knowledge systems.
Indigenous students in Science
We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to pursue their aspirations. Find out more about our study offerings, scholarship opportunities and other initiatives for Indigenous students in the Faculty of Science.
Murrup Barak
Murrup Barak, the Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development, brings together partnership management, strategy, planning, monitoring and compliance and elder and community engagement to make an enduring contribution to Indigenous Australia through the transformative impact of education and employment. Murrap Barak means "Spirit of Barak" in the Woi Wurrung language, to honour the memory of the visionary Aboriginal leader William Barak.
Narrm Oration
The Narrm Oration is the University’s key address that profiles leading Indigenous peoples from across the world in order to enrich our ideas about possible futures for Indigenous Australia. Narrm is the Woi Wurrung word for the Melbourne region.
Rock Art Australia
We support Rock Art Australia's Science Advisory Council, which brings together eminent scientists from tertiary institutions across Australia to advise on on the Foundation's long-term research program.
Tiwi Land Council Science Reference Committee
We support the Tiwi Land Council Science Reference Committee, which involves researchers from all across the Faculty of Science and receives support from the Dean’s Strategic Fund.