Aunty Annette Xiberras

Aunty Annette Xiberras is a trailblazer and was one of the first Cultural Heritage Officers in Victoria. Over 22 years ago, she founded Urban Colours Arts. The company is the first Aboriginal and historical archaeological company owned and managed by an Aboriginal woman. She is also a co-founder of the civil and construction company, Lango Group.

Aunty Annette is a proud Elder and current Chair of the Wurundjeri Nation. She comes from a long line of activist women who have fought for Aboriginal rights. Her mother, Aunty Wilma Xiberras, dedicated her life to other women, the union movement and Indigenous organisations in Victoria. Aunty Annette continues this work – as an archaeologist, entrepreneur, unionist, proud gay woman, and mother. Aunty Annette has a legacy of protecting culture and standing up for human rights.

For over 42 years, Aunty Annette has worked in cultural heritage. Her knowledge of Victorian archaeology is deep and culturally grounded. Her cultural knowledge was passed down from her grandmother, Julia Jones, and from her grandmother Jemima Wandin Burns. Granny Jemima was raised at Coranderrk, where she met and later married Robert Wandin. Granny Jemima and Robert Wandin kept parts of their culture and language alive in secret at Coranderrk, passing their knowledge to their children and grandchildren.

Aunty Annette is a published author. She has written about her family in an article called The Land is Our Mother. .

Aunty Annette writes:

“My great-great-grandmother was Tooterie, the heiress of Mount William. Her son, Robert Wandoon, married Jemima Burns. And she was a great activist. When the Victorian government tried to shut down Coranderrk, she protested and refused to move off. And then her daughter, Martha Nevin, my great-grandmother, was one of the founders of the Aborigines Advancement League. They used to get together at the front of the old Olympic pool when it was illegal for Aboriginal people to congregate. And they used to get together with the union people; Bill Cooper was one of the best known for that."

My grandmother, her daughter, was one of the founders of the Aboriginal Health Service. Prior to the social reforms of the Australian Labor Party Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (1972–1975), the biggest problem in Australia for Aboriginal people was stolen children. And health; there was a real bad health problem because of colonisation. So, my grandmother Julia Jones was one of the founders

of the first Aboriginal Health Service in Gertrude St. Fitzroy in Melbourne. And then my mother Wilma was a founder of, and helped me establish the Kulin Nations Cultural Heritage Organisation, which united all the Kulin tribes together and got them sitting around a table, which was exciting.”

Aunty Annette walks in the footsteps of her Ancestors. Since the 1980s, Aunty Annette has been at the forefront of cultural heritage management and Aboriginal archaeology in Victoria. She was among the first women in cultural heritage and archaeology in the state and bravely faced the sexism that was typical in male- dominated fields at that time. Her first job was as a Cultural Officer for the Wurundjeri Tribal Council, where she provided cultural knowledge and supported archaeological work on Wurundjeri Country. Aunty Annette then became one of the first Cultural Heritage Site Officers at Aboriginal Affairs Victoria in 1988. She worked on repatriation, bringing cultural materials and the human remains of Old People back home from museums around the world. Aunty Annette’s work preserving and protecting Country has been tireless. Her work has shaped how governments understand the significance of Indigenous cultural heritage.

Aunty Annette has worked with many Aboriginal communities around Victoria, as well as government organisations and advisory councils. Aunty Annette has been a member of the Wurundjeri Elders Council since 1978, and the community- elected Chair of the Victorian Traditional Owners Land Justice Group since 2006. She co-founded the City of Yarra Aboriginal Advisory Committee (Yana Ngargna Advisory Committee) with Aunty Denise Lovett and is the longest-serving Wurundjeri Elder on the committee. Aunty Annette is also a member of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council and the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Aunty Annette’s impact is felt in the community. She is a highly respected Elder in the Koori County Court and Koori Magistrates Court in both Melbourne and Geelong. Her wisdom and care provide grounding and support for Aboriginal people going through the legal system. She is also known to support Aboriginal families by providing food, legal support and helping people with jobs and homes.

In 2021, Aunty Annette testified at the parliamentary inquiry into the destruction of the 46,000-year-old sacred site at Juukan Gorge. She consistently advocates for better ways to recognise Aboriginal sovereignty and opportunities for better support for Traditional Owners through legal and government processes. Aunty Annette’s leadership comes both from Ancestral cultural knowledge and technical training. She has guided many archaeological studies, developed cultural heritage management plans and delivered countless hours of training. Her work has helped communities and governments better manage and understand the importance of culture and Country. Her legacy is also personal. She finds joy in working and living on Country, riding her Harley motorbike, and watching her 2 children thrive at university. Her pride in their education reflects her strong commitment to empowering the next generation.

Aunty Annette’s lasting impact will be felt in the communities she’s uplifted, the Country she’s protected, and the systems she has helped transform.