Overview
Connectedness to culture and community strengthens individual and collective identities, and promotes self-esteem, resilience and improved outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Measures under Goal 19 have improved
Victoria continues to fund language revitalisation programs.
Language is not just a tool for communication it is crucial for land justice, health and every aspect of life. Colonial practices punished First Peoples for speaking their language. Through the strength of First Peoples’ that wrong is being overturned.
Goal 19 directly aligns with the following Closing the Gap Outcome and Target
Outcome 16: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages are strong, supported and flourishing.
- Target 16: By 2031, there is a sustained increase in number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken.
Closing the Gap - How Victoria is tracking nationally
Outcome 16: Nationally in 2018–19, there were 123 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken (with 14 considered strong). In Victoria in 2018–19, there were 4 languages being spoken (with 0 considered strong). This target relies on data from the National Indigenous Languages Survey which is conducted at irregular intervals. There is currently no new data since the baseline year of 2018–19.
Data Note
The following measure relies on datasets that are infrequently collected. No new data was available at time of reporting.
No new data was available at the time of reporting for:
- Measure 19.1.1 Participation in community events which celebrate Aboriginal culture.
Historical data for the measures is available on the First Peoples – State Relations website
19.1 Support the preservation, promotion and practice of culture and languages
Measure 19.1.2 Investment in Aboriginal language and culture revitalisation programs
Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair 2025
SDRF enabler 1: Prioritise culture
The Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair 2025 Showcase Exhibition marked a significant step toward achieving the goals in the ‘Opportunity and prosperity’ and ‘Culture and Country’ domains. Presented within the prestigious Melbourne Art Fair (the Fair) in February 2025, the exhibition brought together 123 works by 37 artists from across the state, spanning painting, sculpture, weaving, and multimedia. Collectively representing more than 20 Victorian First Peoples language groups from across all regions of the state, the participating artists attest to the strength, resilience and continuity of culture in Victoria. The Fair created a culturally grounded space for dialogue and exchange, featuring workshops and conversations led by First Peoples artists and cultural leaders.
Outcomes were both cultural and economic: 93 works sold, generating $138,000 in direct and immediate income for the artists and art centres, while the exhibition generated further opportunities such as commissions and other professional engagement. Strong audience engagement and high-profile media coverage amplified the visibility of First Peoples art and raised the profile of the participating artists. This initiative exemplifies how government-supported, First Peoples-led programs can deliver lasting benefits for communities and the creative sector.
Place Naming workshops with Registered Aboriginal Parties
SDRF enabler 1: Prioritise culture
In 2025, Geographic Names Victoria (GNV) held place-naming workshops with the following three RAPs:
- Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation
- Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation
- Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation.
The workshops aim to build strong and culturally informed relationships between Naming Authorities and RAPs by promoting the appropriate use of First Peoples languages, elevating RAP priorities for place naming, and strengthening understanding of RAP business practices and cultural protocols.
In 2025, 67 gazettals and registrations for place naming used First Peoples languages, reflecting sustained First Peoples investment and commitment to enabling the use of language on Country. Geographic names have been assigned across both local and state government land.
New schools opened in 2024 and 2025 have First Nations language names
SDRF enabler 1: Prioritise culture
In March 2023, the Victorian Government committed that First Nations language names would be preferenced in new school naming activities. All new schools opened in 2024 and 2025 have First Nations language names. This commitment gives staff, students, families, and the public an understanding of each school’s connection to land, history and culture.
Goal 19 – Victorian Government Investment and Action
The key Aboriginal Governance Forum for realising outcomes in this Domain is the State-wide Caring for Country Partnership Forum.
Culture and identity
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM)
Connectedness to culture and community strengthens individual and collective identities, and promotes positive self-esteem, resilience, and improved outcomes for Aboriginal people. DGS supports people to apply through the BDM to access certificates and information of life events as part of BDM’s core statutory function.
In response to the Victorian Inquiry into Forced Adoptions, BDM introduced Integrated Birth Certificates (IBCs), which allow adopted people, where they choose, to access a single certificate reflecting both their birth and adoptive parentage. The IBC brings together information relating to birth and adoption, supporting transparency and acknowledgement of identity for people affected by past adoption practices. This reform recognises the significant harm caused by historical forced and illegal adoption practices, including those that resulted in name changes and the severing of identity, culture and family connections.
BDM also provides assistance with genealogy, helping people navigate records from more than 100 years ago and learn about their family, community, culture and Country. This service may also help First Peoples with truth-telling.
In addition, to coincide with NAIDOC week, BDM undertook its annual campaign to issue Victorian Aboriginal Heritage commemorative birth certificates for free. In 2025, BDM offered over 200 free commemorative certificates in celebration of Victorian Aboriginal culture.
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV)
PROV’s Koorie Records Unit (KRU) promotes awareness of Victorian Government records about Aboriginal Victorians within the PROV collection and aims to improve accessibility of these records to First Peoples in appropriate and culturally respectful ways.
The KRU provides tailored services and support for First Peoples, including Stolen Generations survivors and their families, wishing to access historic Victorian Government records relating to themselves and their families.
The KRU’s Koorie Reference Service, with a dedicated Koorie Reference Officer, is delivered in collaboration with the National Archives of Australia’s Victorian office, as Victorian Aboriginal Affairs records are held in both collections. The KRU provides advice and assistance to support a broad range of requests from individuals, organisations and service providers relating to family and community history research and provides free copies of relevant records to clients and First Peoples organisations and groups.
The KRU undertakes outreach to support awareness and accessibility of records and services for First Peoples. Six training and information workshops were delivered to Stolen Generations service providers, organisations and First Nations groups, delivered at the Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne, in the community or online.
The KRU is active across the archives sector through the Council for Australasian Archives and Records Authorities First Nations Special Interest Group to respond to recordkeeping recommendations in the Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration and the Healing Foundation Historical Records Taskforce Principles for Nationally consistent approaches to accessing records. A highlight was running an Aboriginal history information stall at the AIATSIS Summit 2025 in Garramilla Darwin.
Projects completed in 2024-25 as part of PROV’s ongoing commitment to address legacy issues of description and increase the accessibility of records of high interest to First Peoples include publication of a new online research guide for PROV’s significant collection of Aboriginal Protectorate and Guardian of Aborigines records (1838–1860); and a new edition of Finding Your Mob: a guide to researching Aboriginal family history at the Victorian Archives Centre. A project also commenced to individually identify records in Board for the Protection of Aborigines Correspondence files (1889–1946), the largest of its kind in PROV’s collection, and a key resource for family and community connection.
Much of the PROV collection is open for public access, but records can be difficult to locate due to a lack of description or metadata to enable keyword searches. PROV’s Koorie Index of Names (KIN) is an ongoing project to create a searchable index to locate records relating to First Peoples in the collection, undertaken with support from the PROV Volunteer Program. Work also continues a redesign of the KIN platform to support increased accessibility, improve functionality and improvements to service delivery.
During 2024–25, the KRU’s Koorie Reference Service received 218 requests for Aboriginal family history research assistance, resulting in 2,315 names searched and 3,668 name results located in PROV records using the KIN database. A total of 6,279 copies of records were provided, free of charge, to Koorie Reference Service clients.
PROV worked with the Yoorrook Justice Commission and is now working with DGS to transfer the permanent value records of the Yoorrook Justice Commission into the State Archival Collection. The Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles employed by the Yoorrook Justice Commission in respect to evidence provided by First Peoples will continue to be upheld. This complies with reforms to the Inquiries Act 2014 and Public Records Act 1973 which empowered the Commission to make closure or restriction orders over records of First Peoples’ evidence provided to the Commission. Records which are subject to these orders will be withheld from public access for 99 years. First Peoples will be able to access the evidence they provided and will be supported to do this by PROV staff.
Creative industries and community
First Peoples Direction Circle
Creative Victoria (CV) is guided by the First Peoples Direction Circle (the Directions Circle); a group of First Peoples leaders and professionals from across the creative industries and community. Established in 2019, the Directions Circle embeds First Peoples self-determination and community voice in CV’s work, prioritises areas of focus and outcomes, and shares decision-making authority for First Peoples programs and initiatives.
Some of these include:
- The Birrarangga Film Festival returned this year bigger than ever before, screening over 150 films across 6 days sharing the stories and artistry of First Peoples filmmakers and screen professionals from Victoria, across the country and around the world.
- Input into the First Peoples Assembly’s Expert Panel on the Arts, providing cultural leadership and guidance to embed arts and creativity within Treaty processes and ensuring First Peoples creatives voices shape arts governance and sector reform.
- The Yoorrook Justice Commission has maintained ongoing communication with the Directions Circle to offer support in the Commission’s principles of justice, healing, and accountability.
- Progress on Laak Boorndap Garden, a new urban garden planned for the Melbourne Arts Precinct, named by Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Aunty Gail Smith.
- The development of a Cultural Competency Framework for CV supported organisations, designed to lead, encourage and inspire culturally grounded change and cultural safe practices and opportunities across the Victorian creative industries.
First Peoples Creative Hubs
Eight First Peoples organisations have shared more than $654,000, via the Creative Spaces and Places program, to create new and improved spaces that will enable First Peoples creatives to develop their work and skills. Recipients include:
- Mob in Fashion to transform their Brunswick fashion studio with an interior fit out.
- Djirra in the West to purchase much needed equipment and convert a shed into a functional art-making hub for Aboriginal women.
- Murran Hub in Geelong to upgrade infrastructure and equipment.
- The Torch to fit out their hub and gallery to include a creative studio, build fit-for-purpose large artwork storage facilities and make improvements to their digital infrastructure.
- The Motherless Collective in Collingwood, Baluk Arts in Mount Eliza, In Print Projects in Tyrendarra and Shepparton’s Kaiela Arts to purchase new equipment, upgrade their spaces and improve their digital resources.
Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair
Debuting at the 2025 Melbourne Art Fair, this Victorian Government initiative is led by the Directions Circle. The Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair Showcase Exhibition (the Exhibition) presented the work of First Peoples artists and designers, promoting their work to local, national and international art buyers. The Exhibition, the largest of its kind, profiled the diverse and distinctive work of Victorian First Peoples artists and designers, building the market for their work, fostering networking and business opportunities, and delivering economic benefits to the participating artists.
First Peoples Funding Streams
CV offers dedicated First Peoples funding streams across all grant programs. These streams have been designed with input from the Directions Circle and First Peoples Creative Peers and Reviewers to ensure they are culturally safe and adhere to cultural ways of working.
As a result, more First People creatives are applying for to these programs, with higher success rates across all grant rounds. CV paid a total of almost $3.5m in grants to First Peoples artists and organisations throughout 2024-25.
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