Recognition of Southern West Yiradyuri is critical to the future of our People and Country
Southern West Yiradyuri people have an inherent responsibility to uphold our lore, law, values and expectations.
Our services acknowledge this responsibility and we encourage all people, groups, businesses, governments and institutions to engage with our organisation on matters relating to, or impacting upon, Aboriginal culture, heritage, land, water and the sky within Southern West Yiradyuri Country. As a Registered Aboriginal Party under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act, and now supporting a registered native title claim over Southern West Yiradyuri Country, we are best placed to guide genuine engagement grounded in authority and knowledge of Country.
Aboriginal Bio-Cultural Governance
Bio-Cultural Governance is the responsibility carried by anyone who inherits, leases or purchases land and waters across Southern West Yiradyuri Country, and the resources on or within them. Our role is to guide that responsibility according to Original Biodiversity and Kinship principles and customary standards, ensuring Country is cared for the way it always has been.
This extends to how production and trade on Country is regulated and managed, and the moral, social, ecological and Kinship responsibility that comes with the conservation and farming of plants and aquatic life. Whether you're a landholder, corporation or agency, we work alongside you to make sure that responsibility is met properly, not just assumed.
We provide:
- Bio-Cultural Governance advice to restore provenance and the Original Kinship stories of Southern West Yiradyuri Country.
- Original Biodiversity mapping across Southern West Yiradyuri Country.
- Plant identification and selection for specific areas of Country, restoring original biodiversity and ecology.
- Southern West Yiradyuri language services for place naming and cultural terminology.
- Vegetation planning, including replanting, screening and forest restoration, for applications of any scale.
- Native plant propagation through the SW Yiradyuri Nursery, supporting revegetation projects with locally sourced stock.
Price on application.
Enquire about Bio-Cultural Governance
Cultural Heritage
We recognise the importance of our Culture and Heritage, our significant places and landscapes, our stories and language, our customs and practices, and our responsibilities for looking after Country. We take our obligation to Land, Water and Sky Country seriously, and expect anyone operating on our Country to do the same.
Southern West Yiradyuri people hold the knowledge of many cultural story and creation sites and places, much of which is not recorded in the AHIMS database. Our knowledge of Country is unmatched, which is why engagement with the Corporation prior to any activity on our Country is required, not optional.
Our dedicated team of Aboriginal archaeologists, environmental experts and field assessors deliver end to end cultural heritage services for any application, from initial assessment through to on-ground monitoring and final reporting. We work in partnership with an established environmental heritage consultancy, giving our own Aboriginal archaeologist and field team the technical backing to deliver at scale, including full resurveys for large infrastructure projects such as wind farms, with our own team producing the reports and mapping to standard industry practice.
The services we offer include:
- Cultural heritage agreements, assessments and management plans (CHMPs, CHIAs, ACHARs etc.) and reports
- Independent review of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Reports (ACHARs) and heritage documentation prepared by others
- Coordination of field staff for ground works and monitoring
- Construction methodology advice
- Landscaping, plant selection and vegetation restoration
- Liaison with government departments on behalf of developers
- Negotiation of public open space requirements
- Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit (AHIP) and other permit applications
- Land management consultancy with catchment authorities and local government departments
- Salvage and repatriation of ancestral remains and artefacts, and advice on the preservation of Aboriginal material culture and heritage
- Cultural heritage awareness inductions and introduction to Country
Price on application.
Enquire about Cultural Heritage Services
Natural Resource Management
At Southern West Yiradyuri, our Natural Resource Management team brings hands-on expertise in landscape management, pest control, revegetation, and land and waterway restoration, alongside general landscape and infrastructure maintenance. We're equipped to handle construction and forestry projects of any scale, always prioritising safety and cultural standards.
This is more than land maintenance, it's Country care grounded in customary knowledge, delivered by people who know this Country because it's theirs. We actively pursue joint management arrangements over national parks and reserves across Southern West Yiradyuri Country, and are working toward greater formal recognition of significant sites and landscapes, including through pathways like Indigenous Protected Area declaration, so that our authority over how Country is managed is properly resourced, not just acknowledged in principle.
The services we offer include:
- Joint management of national parks and reserves
- Planting and revegetation
- Large scale vegetation and screening
- Invasive plant and animal species removal and monitoring
- Native garden landscaping and gardening
- Forest floor gardening and harvesting
- Seed collecting and native plant propagation
- Research and development
- Waterway research, monitoring and restoration
- Cultural burns and fire management planning
Price on application.
Enquire about Natural Resource Management
Ceremonies
All ceremony requests within the Southern West Yiradyuri area are to be made through the Southern West Yiradyuri Clans Land, Water and Sky Country Aboriginal Corporation. The Corporation’s Elders determine appropriateness of any ceremonies before confirmation of requests and or recommending specific ceremony’s. A request doesn’t guarantee a service unless endorsed by the Elders.
Welcome to Country is a living cultural practice, not a formality. Under our traditional laws and customs, Southern West Yiradyuri people carry the responsibility to welcome visitors onto Country, and to ensure they understand their own responsibilities while they’re here. It’s a two way exchange: we open Country to you, and in turn you carry a responsibility to walk it with respect.
Our Elders and cultural representatives deliver Welcome to Country for events, openings, conferences and gatherings of any size across Southern West Yiradyuri Country. Every request is considered by our Elders to ensure the right person and the right words are brought to your event.
Enquire about a Welcome to Country. Price on application.
A Smoking Ceremony cleanses a place and its people of bad spirits and negative energy, replacing them with good. Participating is a sign of genuine intent and respect, for the space, for the occasion, and for Southern West Yiradyuri Country.
A Smoking Ceremony is only appropriate for certain events, and our Elders determine whether one is suitable for your occasion, it is not delivered publicly or on request alone. This ensures the ceremony holds its proper meaning and is conducted with the right cultural authority.
Enquire about a Smoking Ceremony. Price on application.
Cultural dance is one of the oldest ways Southern West Yiradyuri people pass on knowledge. Many of our ceremonies hold special dances that let us tell stories, share knowledge, celebrate, and pay respect, carrying lore and history forward the way they have been carried for generations.
Cultural Dance can be arranged for events, gatherings and cultural education sessions across Southern West Yiradyuri Country, with our Elders and senior knowledge holders determining the appropriate dances for your occasion.
Enquire about a Cultural Dance Ceremony. Price on application.
Enquire about a Ceremony
Terms and Conditions
Next steps:
- Once we receive your enquiry, a member of our team will contact you to confirm your booking.
- Once confirmed, the Corporation will issue an invoice for full payment.
- Payment must be received by the Corporation eight (8) working days prior to the event date.
A Welcome to Country is a traditional custom of cultural significance to Southern West Yiradyuri people. Appropriate respect must be given to those conducting the ceremony. Visitors to Southern West Yiradyuri Country should observe cultural etiquette throughout, which will be advised, if necessary, at the time of booking. We ask that you consider why you have booked a traditional ceremony, remain respectful throughout, and show your appreciation at its conclusion.
Requests to conduct a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony or Cultural Dance must be made a minimum of two (2) weeks before the event date. Where this notice is given, the Corporation will respond within a reasonable time, no less than two (2) business days after your initial request. Cultural Consultations may require consideration by Elders and community, which can take several weeks and occasionally longer than a month. We appreciate your understanding.
Content: Where the Corporation approves a request, we will advise you of the relevant fee for your ceremony. Fees are reviewed annually. If a booking is cancelled with less than two (2) days’ notice (48 hours), the Corporation will charge 50% of the agreed fee, as the presenter will already be committed to the date.
Accordion Content
You’ll receive an email confirming we’ve received your request. Once a presenter is confirmed, we’ll share your primary contact details with them, and theirs with you, so you can coordinate directly ahead of the event. We ask that you welcome the presenter and support them to engage fully in the event should they choose to. A further email will confirm your booking and request any remaining details or feedback. Your invoice will be sent directly from the Corporation.
Please note
We’re only able to provide Ceremony services within Southern West Yiradyuri Country. If your event is located outside this area, we won’t be able to assist on this occasion. Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you well finding the right people for your event.
Language and Naming
Language is fundamental to the identity and connection of Southern West Yiradyuri people to all aspects of life. It is deeply embedded in both the natural and spiritual landscapes, and speaking it, or hearing it spoken correctly, is how we uphold our responsibility to our lore and customs.
We work with organisations, businesses and government to ensure the use of culturally appropriate language, whether Wiradyuri or English, in everything from place naming to public documents. Getting this right matters, it’s how respectful relationships with Southern West Yiradyuri people are built and maintained.
The services we offer include:
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Naming: the use of Wiradyuri language for naming streets, places, buildings, businesses, documents and more.
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- We work closely with the Budyaan Wiradyuri Language Trust to ensure correct language and interpretation is used.
- Projects that impact communities are undertaken in partnership with each respective community. An example is the Griffith Hospital Naming project.
- Language: guidance on the use of culturally appropriate language, whether Wiradyuri or English, including appropriate wording for Acknowledgment of Country.
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Endorsement: A Letter of Endorsement is provided with our Language and Naming services.
Price on application.
Enquire about Language and Naming
Cultural Education and Consultancy
Yiradyuri Education Vision
As Yiradyuri people, we hold a profound responsibility to ensure Yiradyuri ways of being and knowing are included in education programs and curricula. Education has always been the pathway to opportunity for our communities and families, and we hold a clear vision for what that pathway should look like, Yiradyuri daycare centres, primary and secondary schools, and in time, a Yiradyuri university.
Our Commitment to Yiradyuri Education:
We work directly with schools, institutions and organisations to build Yiradyuri knowledge, values and traditions into real educational environments, not just as an add-on, but as something respected and celebrated in its own right. Our vision extends beyond the present, paving the way for a future where Yiradyuri individuals can thrive academically, culturally and personally.
Engage with us to bring Yiradyuri education into your school, workplace or organisation.
The services we offer include:
Cultural Education: A Southern West Yiradyuri representative speaks on Aboriginal history, culture and heritage. This one hour session can be arranged in most locations (travel costs apply).
- Cultural Awareness and Safety Training: A Cultural Heritage presentation by a Southern West Yiradyuri representative, building understanding of our culture through both a presentation and a field trip to a special Yiradyuri place. This session forms part of a comprehensive cultural training program.
Cultural Competency Auditing: Designed to increase workplace cultural safety in practice, while strengthening relationships with Aboriginal communities and organisations.
- Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) permissions: Guidance on the use of cultural knowledge, traditional language or artwork in planned or existing projects, including displays, interpretive signage, research and other initiatives occurring on Southern West Yiradyuri Country.
Price on application.