Deep Dive Ballarat #2 | Fire on Country

For tens of thousands of years, fire has been used to care for Country.

But what does Cultural burning actually look like? How is it different from the way fire is commonly managed today? And what can thousands of years of knowledge teach us about caring for the landscapes around Ballarat?

For the second edition of Deep Dive Ballarat, we’re diving into Fire on Country with Wadawurrung woman and Cultural fire practitioner Tammy Gilson.

Tammy is a Wiyn Murrup Ranger Program Co-coordinator with the Caring for Country Team at Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

Her journey with Cultural burning began in 2015, when she travelled to the Mary Valley in Far North Queensland to learn from Victor Steffensen and the Firesticks Alliance about caring for Country with fire. Since then, Tammy has continued to build her knowledge and practice in Cultural fire and share that knowledge with others.

Tammy is also a traditional weaver, with work that brings together traditional knowledge and contemporary expression while celebrating culture and connection to Country.

Over the evening, we’ll explore the relationship between fire, culture and landscape; the knowledge held by Traditional Owners; what Cultural burning can achieve for Country; and what it means to bring these practices back into the way we care for land today.

There may also be an additional guest joining the conversation, with more details to come.

There’ll be plenty of time for questions and conversation.