Federation University Australia is helping to rewrite dominant narratives and transform the way Victorians view their history with their Aboriginal Heroes of Fire, Food and Flood project.
Championed by a $50,000 Telematics Trust grant, Federation University was able to analyse historical sources and respectfully engage with local Indigenous communities, resulting in the first-ever digital map of Aboriginal heroism in Victoria, as well as an accompanying documentary film, both of which were launched in 2022. By combining historical research with film, spatial and digital mapping technologies in this way, the project strikingly highlights the contribution of Aboriginal society to the historical foundations of Victoria, specifically through stories of Aboriginal heroism in relation to fire, flood and the search for food.
Combining History with Technology
The significant contribution of Aboriginal people to Australia’s history is an ever-important focus of academic research, but has been sadly undervalued in contemporary culture. Because of this, information on the sites and evidence of Aboriginal contributions is patchy, and knowledge is on the whole inaccessible to educators, students and the wider community.
Improving access to stories of Aboriginal contribution is an important step in preserving and showcasing Australian history, and Telematics is proud to have supported Federation University’s approach of blending their research with spatial mapping technology – conducted by the University’s Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation – as well as their commissioning of the Acts of Heroism documentary film, which broadens the reach of the project in a beautifully engaging format.
A Springboard to National Outcomes
While Federation University initially had the project's use as a classroom resource in mind, it's clear that there will be many more beneficiaries than only educators. With Telematics’s support, and by utilising technology to maximise accessibility, public and private sector employees, galleries, libraries, archives and museums are just a few audiences also within the project’s reach. By encouraging broader community knowledge about Aboriginal acts of heroism and Victoria’s shared history, there’s little doubt that the entire community stands to benefit.
Reflecting on the project, Fred Cahir, Associate Professor in Aboriginal History at Federation University, said:
“The outputs from the research will have multiple uses including for curriculum development in schools, and to promote cultural heritage tourism. The outcomes achieved through this project are a springboard to achieve similar nation wide outcomes. I trust that this Telematics project will reap national benefits [and that] it’s unlikely we would have achieved our goals without this grant”.
Looking Forward
This project marks another step for Federation University, which has been a long-standing collaborator with and contributor to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Overall, by engaging documentary filmmakers, researchers and applied technologists in order to achieve the Aboriginal Heroes of Fire, Food and Flood project, the University has created a model example of the kind of innovative and cross-disciplinary approaches that lie at the heart of Telematics Trust’s purpose.Y
You’re able to explore the Aboriginal Heroes of Fire, Food and Flood project, and view the Acts of Heroism documentary film, here.
