WA O’Brien Culinary Academy
Acknowledgement of Country
Our team’s journey begins in Perth, Western Australia, on Whadjuk Noongar Country.
We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters where our team is based. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and honour their continuing connection to Country, culture and community.
The Noongar people are the Aboriginal peoples of south-west Western Australia. Whadjuk people belong to the Perth area, where our team is based. Their cultures, communities and connections to this place continue today.
In Aboriginal cultures, Country has a deep meaning. It includes land, waters, ancestral stories, cultural knowledge and responsibilities to care for a place. It connects people with their ancestors, their community and future generations.
We recognise the First Peoples of the place we call home and their continuing relationship with it. Aboriginal peoples experienced dispossession and exclusion through colonisation. An acknowledgement is one way to show respect and ensure their history, living cultures and contributions are recognised.
Elders are respected community members recognised for their cultural knowledge and leadership. “Past and present” honours both those who have died and those guiding their communities today.
This page offers an Acknowledgement of Country, which anyone can make.
A Welcome to Country is delivered by Traditional Owners, or an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person authorised by them, to welcome visitors onto their Country. It may include spoken words, song, dance or ceremony.
When we share our cooking internationally, we also share where our journey began. This acknowledgement recognises the Traditional Custodians of our home in Perth, including when we represent our community abroad.
Food, place and respect
As chefs and educators, we value the relationship between food, place and the people who pass knowledge between generations. We recognise the enduring knowledge of Noongar people and their connections to the lands, waters and seasons of south-west Western Australia.