Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledging those on whose Country we live and work.

FLEET guidelines encouraging appropriate, genuine Acknowledgement of Country have been put into use at Centre events in 2021.

FLEET values the contributions of our diverse members, spanning 27 cultural backgrounds. In particular, we acknowledge and respect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as First Australians. We celebrate the uniqueness of knowledges, cultures, science, histories and languages that have been created and shared for at least 65,000 years.

FLEET members are encouraged to consistently acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country at the beginning of any formal functions, meetings and forums they host. This includes Zoom sessions and online events where the local moderator should offer the acknowledgement, and in documents such as the Centre annual report and PhD theses.

FLEET operates on the lands of the the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation

Among the lands on which FLEET operates are those of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation (northwestern Melbourne region).

Members are encouraged to say this in their own words. FLEET does not consider a script that members are required to read out to be the ideal (i.e. the most compelling or the most sincere) way to acknowledge traditional ownership.

Instead, in 2021 FLEET developed acknowledgement guidelines that encourage members to do their own research (‘we are scientists, after all!’) and then to write their, more genuine acknowledgement.

However, we also know that many feel uncomfortable the first few times they acknowledge Country. We therefore also provide members with an ‘example script’, in the hope that as they gain confidence, they will be able to build on this and work towards a more personal acknowledgement.