Koorie Heritage Trust

The Trust has been building up its Artefact Collection since 1985. The 2600 artefacts in the collection range from boomerangs, shields, spear throwers, clubs, canoes, baskets, eel traps and possum-skin cloaks to carved emu eggs, ceramics, t-shirts and jewelry. The oldest items are the stone tools including flints, grinding stones and axes.

An important role of this Collection is to show how Koorie culture continues to evolve. Traditional crafts, designs and stories are still being used across a wide range of contemporary media demonstrating how materials and crafts have adapted and changed over time.

This Collection shows the diversity of the artefacts and designs from south-eastern Australia and how they are unique and distinct from other areas of Australia.

AH 2913, Koorie Heritage Trust

This grinding stone was the first item collected on behalf of what was to become the Victorian Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Trust, known today as the Koorie Heritage Trust. In the early 1980s Jim Berg received this grinding stone as a donation, recalling that ‘this lady walks in with a grinding stone…she says, “Jim this belongs to you and your people”’ (Jim Berg, 2006).

AH 15, Koorie Heritage Trust

This parrying shield was one of the first items purchased by the Trust from Sotheby’s auction house in London in 1985. The geometric design on the shield is typical of designs from south-eastern Australia. These types of traditional designs were carved into the wood using possum or kangaroo teeth. With the arrival of Europeans new materials were introduced and metal tools replaced the traditional tools used to craft and inscribe designs onto wood.

AH 272, Koorie Heritage Trust

This eel trap is a great example of the survival of Koorie culture and knowledge. It was made by Gunditjmara elder Aunty Connie Hart in 1988. 'No one taught me to make my baskets. My mum told me we were coming into the white people's way of living. So she wouldn't teach us. That is why we lost a lot of culture. But I tricked her and I watched those old people and I sneaked a stitch or two." (Connie Hart, 1991)

AH 2628, Koorie Heritage Trust

Made by Kelly Koumalatsos, a Wergaia/Wamba Wamba artist, this possum-skin cloak is a strong example of how Koorie art can mix traditional crafts and designs with contemporary media. ‘I have a passion for possum skin cloaks. I love working with possum skins and designing motifs for them. The motifs don't necessarily connect to tell a story, however they are more an examination of design work, based on traditional linear motifs. This particular cloak was made at King Lake.’ (Kelly Koumalatsos, 2000)

AH 2628, Koorie Heritage Trust

This ceramic sculpture of a dingo by Brian Firebrace, a Yorta Yorta artist, demonstrates how Koorie culture has evolved over time but still maintains traditional elements.Brian describes the designs he paints on his dingos as being traditional tribal markings from his area.

For further information on the Trusts Artefact Collection please contact Collections Cadet Jodie Dowd via email jodie@koorieheritagetrust.com or phone (03) 8622 2600.