Since you shared your ideas for revitalising Yan Yean Reservoir we have been getting ready to start work on a draft master plan. As part of this, we have been working with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, who are the traditional custodians of the Yan Yean Reservoir catchment area. We work with them as partners, and value their connection to Country.

The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC) and Melbourne Water have collaborated to undertake a Cultural Values Assessment for the Yan Yean Reservoir catchment. This study identifies places of historical, cultural, and heritage significance to the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. It traces the Aboriginal history of the area going back thousands of years, to the present day, where Traditional Owners - via the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Corporation’s Narrap Rangers - continue to carry out caring for Country responsibilities.

The Cultural Values Assessment was initiated by the WWCHAC as an important foundation for future planning of the Yan Yean Reservoir catchment.

Over 12 weeks in late 2022, a series of activities, including desktop research, field visits and workshops with Wurundjeri Elders, were carried out to identify the cultural values of the catchment. The focus was to capture place-based information relating to how Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people lived within the landscape.

The resulting was a summary report that recounted the Aboriginal history of the area, the ways in which Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people accommodated and adapted to the rapid changes brought by the colonial settlers, and how traditional custodians continue to carry out their Caring for Country responsibilities today.

Yan Yean Reservoir catchment is inscribed with Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Places that are a record of Country and the activities of Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung ancestors. Cultural landscapes and other significant places in Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country constitute a direct link for Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people to their ancestors who created and cared for those places over millennia.

Cultural features of interest identified in the study include:

• creation ancestor and totem species
• places representing colonial settler and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung interactions
• the reintroduction of traditional knowledge to manage important biodiversity through the Narrap Rangers’ caring for Country.

Contributing to Yan Yean Reservoir's future

The Cultural Values Assessment provides important knowledge from Traditional Owners, and includes recommendations to appropriately protect and manage cultural attributes and promote cultural values.

The findings in the summary report provide a deeper understanding of the cultural significance of the Yan Yean Reservoir catchment. This is an important foundation not only for the development of a future master plan for the site, but also to inform Wurundjeri, Melbourne Water and others’ ongoing work together, including by exploring opportunities to continue to expand Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Corporation’s role in land management.

Next steps for Revitalising Yan Yean Reservoir project

The findings from the report highlighted the cultural significance of Yan Yean Reservoir catchment.

We are committed to working with the WWCHAC on how this cultural heritage can be protected and celebrated.

This will provide an important foundation for future planning for the site and the development of a master plan.