We are on Dja Dja Wurrung Country
Connection to Country and Water
Djaara (Dja Dja Wurrung people) are the Traditional Owners of a large part of central Victoria, including areas that overlap with the Coliban Water region. Their Country, known as Djandak, spans places such as Bendigo, Castlemaine, Daylesford, Maryborough, and surrounding areas. Djaara peoples have lived on and cared for Djandak for thousands of years, maintaining a deep cultural, spiritual, and physical connection to the land and waterways.
Water, known as Gatjin in Dja Dja Wurrung language, is central to Djaara identity and survival. It is more than just a resource—it is a sacred life force that sustains all living things and carries cultural knowledge across generations. The rivers, creeks, and wetlands of Dja Dja Wurrung Country, including the Coliban and Loddon rivers, are deeply significant. Caring for Gatjin is essential to ensuring Dhelk—a state of balance, health, and well-being for both people and Country.
Dhelkunya Dja Gatjin is DJAARA’s water program, dedicated to healing, protecting, and managing Gatjin across Dja Dja Wurrung Country. The program ensures Djaara voices guide water planning, policy, and projects by embedding Traditional Owner rights, responsibilities, and knowledge into water management. Dhelkunya means "healing" in Dja Dja Wurrung language, reflecting DJAARA’s commitment to restoring waterways to support healthy people, healthy Country, and a thriving future.
Find out more about Dhelkunya Dja Gatjin here.
Shared Custodianship of Gatjin
Coliban Water and DJAARA (the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation) have formed a landmark partnership to share custodianship of Gatjin (water) on Dja Dja Wurrung Country. This agreement marks a strong commitment to working together for the health of land, water, and communities across the region. It recognises Djaara’s (Dja Dja Wurrung peoples) enduring role in water management and embeds Traditional Owner knowledge and values into how water is cared for.
Together, we are focused on restoring and protecting waterways, recognising Gatjin as essential to both cultural identity and environmental sustainability.
At a ceremony held at Upper Coliban Reservoir, leaders from both organisations spoke about the importance of working ngaldurrong (together) to care for and heal our water systems.
Over the past year, the partnership has delivered Aboriginal Waterways Assessments, expert advice from DJAARA’s water knowledge group Kapa Gatjin, and stronger Traditional Owner voices in water industry planning and decision-making. DJAARA and Coliban Water are committed to building a long-term, intergenerational partnership to care for water and support the needs of communities—now and into the future. Read more about the partnership here.