On behalf of the spiritual ancestors and the traditional owners of Melbourne, I invite you to Melbourne in 2009, for the Parliament of the World's Religions to share in the traditions, culture and spirit of Australia.
It is a traditional custom of Australian Aboriginal communities to give permission to people who wish to enter the country. The Wurundjeri people are known as the Manna-Gum (eucalyptus tree) people and we invite you to share with us from a branch of Gum leaves. Taking a leaf means that you are welcome to everything from the tops of the trees to the roots of the earth on our ancestral country. It also means that you and I, we become linked symbolically and spiritually. By this action you join with us to honour our ancestors who have nurtured our land for thousands and thousands of years.
Prof Joy Murphy Wandin AO Senior Woman of the Wurundjeri People