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We stand up every day to talk for our ancestors
On National Close the Gap day, 20 March 2025, the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria (SVDPV) launched our new INNOVATE Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) at Gerald Ward House in Box Hill, the head office of our Victorian organisation.
We were honoured to have Wurundjeri elder Jacqui Wandin conduct a Welcome to Country. Ms Wandin encouraged the audience to read and learn about her ancestor William Barak, about Coranderrk, and Simon Wonga, telling us how “We stand up every day to talk for our ancestors.”
Reconciliation Action Plan Circle Chair Marie Murfet (Jingulu and Mudburra) and Cultural Advisor Deb Walsh (Gunggari) gave valuable insights into the RAP process at SVDPV, telling us that these processes do not stick to strict timelines, rather that reconciliation succeeds in the hearts and minds of all Australians.
The event was hosted Group CEO Dr Jenny Fitzgerald AM and State President Michael Quinn also spoke.
Employees and members joined from across Victoria and the ACT, dialling in from Wurundjeri, Yorta Yorta, Gunaikurnai, Boonwurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Pangerang, Wathaurong, Bunurong and Ngunnawal lands. Over 45 people attended the event in person on Wurundjeri country, with over 150 people attending online.
To celebrate the launch, we engaged First Nations photographers, artists and caterers to commemorate this important milestone for our organisation.
Photos were taken by Taungurung photographer Hunter Callaghan of Hunter Photo Imaging.
Catering was provided by local First Nations business Mullum Creations, with guests enjoying morning tea with Indigenous ingredients such as lemon myrtle scones with wattleseed cream and muntie berry jam.
The artwork featured, The Long-Finned Eels of the Hopkins, by Gunditjmara artist Jase C. depicts four warriors walking the land and meeting to trade stories, food and tools. The warriors would gather when the wattle bloomed which signalled the spawning and migration of the eels.
In her speech, CEO Dr Jennifer Fitzgerald recognised The Torch as a wonderful place to discover First Nations art and artists. The St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has purchased five artworks which will be shared across our worksites.
#reconciliation #InnovateRAP
About RAP
Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) enable organisations to sustainably and strategically take meaningful action to advance reconciliation.
Based around the core pillars of relationships, respect and opportunities, RAPs provide tangible and substantive benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, increasing economic equity and supporting First Nations self-determination.
The St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria embrace the reconciliation process and have implemented REFLECT (2020-2021) and INNOVATE (2024-2026).
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Supporting The Torch and the amazing Indigenous artists:
The Waterhole, 2024
Michael Morgan
Wotjobaluk/Yorta Yorta people
This painting represents our favourite waterhole where we used to swim, fish, and catch yabbies. It's one of the places our grandfather used to take us to and show us how to track and hunt. The three platypuses represent me and my two sisters in our waterhole.
Rainbow Serpent, 2023
Beau C
Gunditjmara people
The serpent swimming down Hopkins river, making sure my family are safe.
Women's Day, 2024
Matthew S
Yorta Yorta people
This painting is for International Women's Day, just to pay respect to all the women in our lives and in our Mob.
All the sisters, mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers, we would be lost without them and this is me paying my respects to them.
Long Fin Eel, 2023
Trav H
Gunditjmara people
This is a painting of an eel on my Country down Framlingham Mission.
The Rainbow Snake, 2025
That Guy
Dja Dja Wurrung people
This painting represents the rainbow snake creating the land and rivers.
As you can see there are rainbow-looking marks throughout the painting. One side of the river has dingo and wild dog prints, the other side has emu and kangaroo prints, representing moving forward, keeping law and knowledge.
The colour of the snake is the Gilbert Pride Flag as the rainbow snake is traditionally known as bisexual, male and female, this is spiritual knowledge. Only a Cleverman or Cleverwoman truly versed in traditional laws would be aware of this.
It also reflects the gendered division of spiritual knowledge into Men’s business and Women’s business so prominent in Aboriginal culture. The river has a message in braille for the blind to read, it reads: This painting represents the rainbow snake creating the land and rivers.
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