First Nations cultural guide

A Welcome to Country or an Acknowledgement of Country recognises the continuing connection of Traditional Owners to Country. Incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country or Welcome to Country into meetings, gatherings, and events shows respect by upholding the cultural and diplomatic protocols of First Peoples.

Anyone can acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where an event is held. At MCEC, we're on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung lands of the Kulin Nation. Acknowledging Country is a meaningful practice that recognises the sovereignty of Traditional Owners.

We do have an acknowledgement ready for you to incorporate into your event, but we also encourage you to make it personal.

Built on the banks of the Birrarung (Yarra River), Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Narrm, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to Elders of all First Nations communities that visit MCEC. We recognise the significance of the Birrarung to Traditional Owners as a life source and a meeting place for millennia and seek to honour this long-standing tradition of building community and exchanging ideas on these lands. 

A Welcome to Country is a special ceremony only performed by Traditional Owners to welcome visitors to their land. The specific Traditional Owner group varies depending on the event location. 

We recommended connecting with and compensating the Recognised Aboriginal Party for that land to arrange a Welcome to Country. For MCEC, it's the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung.

If you're hosting an event on another site across Victoria and wish to book a Welcome to Country, you can identify the Recognised Aboriginal Party via this helpful online map . 

Welcome to Country ceremonies can include speeches, traditional dances, and smoking ceremonies. 

For specific considerations for smoking ceremonies at MCEC see below.

• Be mindful that each Traditional Owner group or individual must follow specific cultural practices, and there is no 'one size fits all'. 

• A Welcome to Country should always be at the beginning of the event.

• Allow ample time for Traditional Owners to provide a meaningful Welcome to Country; avoid limiting it to just a few minutes.

Often, an Elder from a Traditional Owner group is invited to conduct a Welcome to Country or other cultural ceremonies. Indigenous Elders should be treated with respect, just as dignitaries from other nations. It may be helpful to have a senior staff member allocated to greet, escort and support them.

While many First Nation communities refer to their Elders as Aunty or Uncle, it may not be appropriate for non-Indigenous people to address them in the same way. When meeting with Elders, it's best to ask what term they prefer to use when addressed or introduced.

The Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of Victoria have practised Smoking Ceremonies for thousands of years to promote the wellbeing of people and Country. Today, Smoking Ceremonies remain an important ceremony to First Peoples, and can sometimes feature as part of a Welcome to Country.

Like a Welcome to Country, they can only be performed by the Traditional Owners of the land on which a meeting or event is held. This can be arranged through the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Corporation.  

If you wish to conduct a Smoking Ceremony for an event held at MCEC, please speak with your Event Planner first. If your event is indoors, smoke detectors must be isolated, and a fire warden must be present. Some spaces in the venue are better suited than others, and our planners can advise you on the best option for your event. 

Approved spaces for conducted Smoking Ceremonies: 

• All Exhibition Bays  

• Melbourne Room  

• Sovereign Room  

• Plenary  

• Courtyard  

• Sunken Garden  

These rooms are not approved for Smoking Ceremonies are: 

• All Clarendon Meeting Rooms  

• Clarendon Auditorium   

• All Meeting Rooms in the Convention centre  

• All Exhibition Bay Hospitality Suites 

Many First Nations communities engage in traditional dance or other important diplomatic and cultural ceremonies. The Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Corporation can help connect you with cultural performers. MCEC has worked with the Djirri Djirri Wurundjeri women’s dance group  before. 

For ceremonies involving body paint, speak to your event planner, and they can arrange for dressing rooms to be set up accordingly. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be properly credited for their contributions to events, campaigns, or activities, particularly when sharing cultural knowledge. They should also receive financial benefits for sharing their knowledge, culture, or practices through advice, cultural engagement, artwork, or language provision.

Engaging First Nations suppliers in event planning is a great way to support businesses operated by Traditional Owners.  

In Victoria, the Kinaway Chamber of Commerce  is the leading organisation dedicated to empowering Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business owners. The chamber's directory includes many suppliers, including consultants and artists.  

Supply Nation  is also an incredible resource for finding Indigenous businesses, industries, and locations across Australia. 

MCEC visitors and delegates often seek authentic First Nations experiences, its important to consider the following:

• When designs include Indigenous elements, the artwork should be produced by a First Nations artist. 

• Before the artwork is produced, it’s important to agree on its specific use, including whether design elements will be used in isolation, whether colours will be changed, or whether the creative will be used in places not initially agreed to. 

Different Indigenous groups have different art practices. When telling a story around a particular destination through art and design, the artist employed should be a Traditional Owner from that region. 

When planning event activities involving Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander culture, allocate time for consultation with the communities involved. Decision-making may involve discussions among Traditional Owner groups without non-Indigenous participation.

If Sorry Business, the mourning of an Aboriginal person, occurs during consultation, be mindful that you should not engage further in consultation until invited to do so.