My name is Allan Gill and I am the Chairperson of Murriajabree Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Association located at 14 Victoria Avenue, Deception Bay. Murriajabree means blackfella gathering. When I was younger my people lived along the rivers and if you came into their area at night you would call out “Murriajabree” to let people know you were there, then you would do the lonesome whistle so you could be welcomed in.
I would like to welcome everyone to Deception Bay. I invite you to join me in acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and occupiers of the land and recognise that this land continues to be sacred to them. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners as guardians of the earth and all living things that grow and breed in and on the soil and as trustees of the waters, the streams, the sea, the rivers, the billabongs and for the rich life in those waters. We thank our ancestors for passing on this heritage to us.
I would also like to acknowledge the many funding bodies that continue to support Murriajabree.
Uncle Allan Gill