Uncle Clayton, Bidwell Traditional Owner, with a painting of Goongerah Country on him
Traditional Owners of the east have a long staunch history fighting for Country. Since GECO's inception we have sought to work alongside First Nations communities to prevent the destruction of Country, for justice, land back and sovereignty.
Goongerah, the name of our town, is a Bidwell word meaning egg rock. Goongerah is situated at the base of Mt. Goongerah (Mt. Ellery). This tall mountain is capped in large granite boulders that are the eggs of Djidjigan, the rainbow serpent who travelled through this part of the country from snowy mountains.
Bidwell elder Uncle Clayton Harrison tells the full story here.
Mt Goongerah egg rocks
In the year 2000, GECO worked with Traditional Owner Robbie Thorpe, Krautungalung man of the Gunnai nation, and Albert Hayes, Bidwell man, who served an eviction notice to the logging crews operating at Goolengook.
Aboriginal viewers are advised this video contains the image of someone who has passed.
In 2002, Bidwell Traditional Owners Uncle Clayton, Uncle Bevan, Aunty Connie, Aunty May and Aunty Patsy, requested that logging cease in Goolengook until they were able to assess the area. While the Department of Natural Resources & Environment didn't initially grant them this request, they entered Goolengook in defiance of the exclusion zone alongside supporters anyway.
Aboriginal viewers are advised this video contains the image of someone who has passed.
In December 2020 Bidwell-Maap Traditional Owners wrote a letter to the Victorian government condemning logging planned in the Bidwell reserve near the Errinundra Plateau. VicForests immediately withdrew these coupes from the schedule.
On March 2023, Marjorie Thorpe, senior Djap Wurrung woman and elder for the Gunnai nation, spoke out against Victoria's anti-protest laws at a GECO mass meeting in Narrm (Melbourne).
"We've been out to those logging coupes and its unimaginable for those people who haven't seen the razing of an environment... And i think these are the things we need to protest for. We don't just need to protest we need to fight for this, because this is fighting for our very future... That's what we have to do. And if they want to lock us up, well lock us up."
Image by Trudy Photography