Hume City Council and the Stolen Generations Marker Working Group will launch a Stolen Generations Marker at Malcolm Creek Reserve Wetlands in Craigieburn on Saturday, 10 December.

The Marker will pay tribute and respect to the Stolen Generations; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities and denied their identity, family, Traditional culture and Country through the racist policies of governments across Australia.

Hume Council has collaborated with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Stolen Generations Marker peak bodies and representatives of Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung over the past six years to develop and install the permanent Stolen Generations Marker in Hume.

The Marker consists of an artwork called Covered in our Creator by Gunnai/Waradjurie/Yorta Yorta/Gunditjmarra artist Robert Young. It features a large metal possum skin cloak (representing family), located on a canoe shaped ground artwork (representing journey) in front of a traditional coolamon rendered in stone (representing childhood).

Mr Young spoke with National Indigenous Times about what inspired the work.

"It was this thought or feeling but it moved my spirit and it was as if this land holds memories: and the waterways, the rocks, the ocean's the trees and plants, all creation. So why wouldn't it cry out and come to us when we are in need?

"That the Cloak, Coolamon and Canoe are all created out different forms of earth and I felt if the tears that have been wept are what have carved these three elements to tell this narrative.

"I hope that people (who see the Marker) find/feel peace, strength and hope. That you feel uplifted, challenged, and feel the burden in the way you know the strength of our people in carrying and walking through life."

Saturday's ceremony will include a Smoking Ceremony from a Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder; a performance from Mutti Mutti/Yorta Yorta/Nari Nari man Uncle Kutcha Edwards; speeches from the Mayor of Hume City Cr Joseph Haweil, Stolen Generations Members, representatives of project partners Connecting Home and Link-Up/VACCA, and the artist Mr Young.

The launch of the Marker will take place from 11.30am to 1.30pm, Saturday 10 December, at the Malcolm Creek Reserve Wetlands, on the corner of Centennial Park Drive and Wyperfeld Avenue, in Craigieburn.

In early 2020 Hume City Council established a Working Group to guide the Stolen Generation Marker project. The group included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, community members with direct experience of impacts on the Stolen Generations, and representatives from peak bodies including Connecting Home and Link-Up Victoria.

The artist, Mr Young, invited several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members with personal experiences related to the Stolen Generations to create original designs that feature on the surface of the large metal cloak. These community design contributions are unique in themselves and were made by Barbara Burns; Selwyn Burns; Nicole Bloomfield; Myrtle Roach Evans; Tracey Evans; and Karen Lovett.

Hume City Council mayor, Joseph Haweil, said the Council was proud to join several other Councils who have "created important public artworks marking the devastating history of enforced removal of Aboriginal children from their parents".

"Council looks forward to working with the Aboriginal community to promote this site as a place of welcome, truth-telling and mutual healing," he said.

"Hume City Council is committed to recognising the lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and this permanent Marker provides a place for Stolen Generations survivors, and their families, to gather and reflect."