Bird in Hand Winery would like to acknowledge that we exist on the Lands of the Peramangk, Paredarerme and Ngarrindjeri Peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the Land upon which we are situated. We recognise that First Nations Peoples maintain an enduring connection with this Country. Their deep cultural heritage and ongoing efforts to preserve and nurture Country should never be forgotten nor significance diminished.
We pay tribute to the Peramangk, Paredarermere and Ngarrindjeri Peoples for their stewardship of these Lands, and we honour the traditions, stories, and spiritual connections that have been passed down through thousands of generations. Each of these groups have unique and preserving cultures and histories that share the commonality of depth of connection and strength in Community.
As a winery, we hold deep reverence for the Land and its ability to have sustained and nourished Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for thousands of years. We understand the profound cultural, historical, and social significance this Land holds.
We acknowledge the painful impact of colonization and the ongoing challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We stand in solidarity with all First Nations Communities across Australia in their journey towards self-determination, cultural revitalization, and social justice.
We encourage all readers of this Reconciliation Action Plan to join us in recognizing the fundamental truths of the place we now call Australia.
Bird in Hand’s vision for reconciliation is an Australia where First Nations Peoples are self-determining, with equitable outcomes and greater agency. We hope for all of Australia to meaningfully acknowledge our nation’s shared past, to create the capacity to move towards a future free from racial inequality.
Achieving reconciliation at Bird in Hand will look like working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, through both symbolic and practical action that reaches as far as our sphere of influence. We want to platform the voices and stories of First Nations Peoples locally and globally, to encourage all to participate in reconciliation.
We see reconciliation as an effort that needs to be embedded throughout the entire business: on the land we farm on the Countries of the Peramangk, Ngarrindjeri, and Paredarermere Peoples.
We continually strive to be guided by the voices of First Nations Peoples. We desire to measure our success by aiming towards the goals of the Uluru Statement: Voice, Treaty and Truth.
I am proud of our team for showing leadership within the wine industry. As a group we are committed to doing everything possible to help the reconciliation process.
In my view our First Nation friends have offered a beautiful, peaceful, and practical way to unite Australia and correct as much as possible, the injustice of the past.
Bird in Hand fully supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its core tenets of Voice, Treaty and Truth.
I feel that First Nations culture must sit at the pinnacle of Australian identity. The 65 000 years plus of continuous cultures (the longest in the world by an extraordinary amount) is a national and international treasure that has somehow largely been overlooked.
As an Australian of European decent, I feel if we can move forward into reconciliation overcoming our fear of blame or recrimination and confront the facts of our past it will help First Nation Australians in ways only they can possibly understand.
It will also immensely benefit non-Indigenous Australians and allow us to live in a united, progressive, mature, honest and empathetic Country that can demonstrate leadership on issues of fairness and equality.
We farm on Peramangk, Paredareme and Ngarrindjeri Land and acknowledge this Land Always Was and Always Will Be, First Nations Land. It was never ceded, and our history has been built on the disinformation of ‘terra nullius’.
As I have aged, it has become much clearer to me how much we have to learn about Country from First Nations Peoples. If we can change our perception of time to match that of our First Nations friends, it leads to sustainable land management and vastly improved environmental outcomes.
I personally feel guilt as a European Australian. Guilt that the education I received on Australian history was distorted and, in many instances, objectively incorrect, as were my own views of First Nations Peoples. They were systemic views that whilst still present in our society, are thankfully receding.
I personally have found First Nations cultures to be incredibly resilient and forgiving.
I do not believe we should feel in anyway threatened by reconciliation and the Voice, Treaty and Truth path of the Uluru Statement.
There will be many uncomfortable moments that provide us the opportunity to grow.
I am personally committed to this process as are the wonderful group of people who together make up Bird in Hand Winery. We will lend as much support as required and be led by First Nations Australians until reconciliation and equality are achieved. I am grateful for the precious opportunity that has been generously provided to grow and unite all.
