The Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative is a community organisation based in
Geelong, Australia
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, a ...
that supports the social, economic, and cultural development of
Aboriginal people within the Geelong and surrounding areas. It was formed in 1978 and registered in 1980.
Purpose
The Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative provides health, community and family services to Aboriginal people in the Geelong area. It is the largest employer of Aboriginal people in the Geelong region. A protest in 2014, claiming the organisation had "...become distanced from its community...", revolved around staff cuts, services and gatherings for the community and concerns the organisation was focused on business than the community.
Staff
The chief executive officer was for many years Trevor Edwards, who was succeeded by Tracey Currie, and then Rod Jackson. In 2014, the organisation had 300 members and employed 55 staff, with a turnover of over $5m a year.
The organisation operates a number of business ventures including Wathaurung Glass & Arts,
Wathaurong Glass & Arts
/ref> and has title to land at Mount Rothwell
Mount Rothwell is a locality in Victoria, Australia, located to the north east of the You Yangs hills, between Bacchus Marsh and Werribee.
It is the location of the Mount Rothwell wildlife sanctuary and the historic Mount Rothwell homestead, b ...
that contains the Wurdi Youang
Wurdi Youang is the name attributed to an Aboriginal stone arrangement located off the Little River – Ripley Road at Mount Rothwell, near Little River, Victoria in Australia. The site was acquired by the Indigenous Land Corporation on 14 Janua ...
Aboriginal stone arrangement.
See also
* Wathaurong
The Wathaurong nation, also called the Wathaurung, Wadawurrung and Wadda Wurrung, are an Aboriginal Australian people living in the area near Melbourne, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula in the state of Victoria. They are part of the Kulin all ...
* Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation
The Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation, a Registered Aboriginal Party since 21 May 2009, represents the Aboriginal Australian people for the Geelong and Ballarat areas. Their responsibility includes ensuring that the Aboriginal culture is maintain ...
References
External links
Official website
2016 Annual Report
{{Indigenous Australians
Organisations serving Indigenous Australians
Aboriginal peoples of Victoria (state)
1978 establishments in Australia
Cooperatives in Australia