Reconciliation ? an opportunity to show respect for the first Australians
29/05/2013
The Bureau of Meteorology is marking National Reconciliation Week with the Canberra launch of its Reconciliation Action Plan today – the final in its national program of events across Australia.
Recognising National Reconciliation Week, Bureau of Meteorology Director, Dr Rob Vertessy, said that a foundation of respect for the traditional lands, language and culture of the first Australians was central to reconciliation.
“Through the Indigenous Weather Knowledge project the Bureau has expanded its understanding of Australia’s weather and climate with traditional knowledge that dates back thousands of years, complementing more than a hundred years of our own climate records.
"This project supports Indigenous communities in providing a platform for sharing valuable cultural information and traditional knowledge, passed down over many generations, with the broader community.
“The Bureau is committed to creating a culture of respect and greater engagement with Indigenous Australians in all areas of our work,” Dr Vertessy said.
Other initiatives over the past year that have supported this cultural change include:
• The signing of a 10 year lease with the Ngaanyatjarra Land Council for the Giles Meteorological Office, approximately 350 kilometres west of Yulara in South Australia, in which staff posted to Giles agree not to consume alcohol in accordance with the wishes of the local Indigenous community;
• Recognising Indigenous Australians in the naming of weather stations, such as larapuna on Tasmania’s Eddystone Point and the Warruwi radar on the Northern Territory’s Goulburn Islands;
• Recognising the traditional language of the Wurundjeri peoples in naming components of the Bureau’s supercomputer ngamai and yumbuk (meaning Solar and Lunar).
• Improving the diversity of the Bureau’s workforce through the Indigenous Careers Program with the engagement of six Indigenous cadets and one graduate.
For further information go to the Indigenous Weather Knowledge Project and the Reconciliation Action Plan.
