Our 2024 Event

Local Hubs | Aust | NZ

Local Hub Locations for 2024

Kaurna Country

Adelaide, SA

Kaurna Meyunna are the Aboriginal people of the Adelaide region. Kaurna Meyunna Yerta, the Kaurna peoples’ traditional tribal land or Country, extends from Cape Jervis to the south of Adelaide to Crystal Brook to the north, and from the Mount Lofty Ranges to the coast of Gulf Saint Vincent. This region encompasses what is now the city of Adelaide and its surrounding areas, reflecting the deep cultural and historical significance of this land to the Kaurna people. We acknowledge Kaurna Country as the land on which Adelaide is situated and pay our respects to the Kaurna people as the Traditional Custodians.

Local Hub Venue Location: The Noel Stockdale Room, Level 1, Central Library , Flinders University, Campus Bedford Park.

Tāmaki Makaurau,
Aotearoa

Auckland, NZ

Tāmaki Makaurau is the Māori name for the Auckland rohe, meaning ‘Tāmaki desired by many’, which stretches across the Auckland isthmus, around the Waitematā and Manukau harbours, the Waitākere and Hunua ranges, and up to Kaipara Harbour. This area’s natural resources and geography, including strategic vantage points, portage routes, and mahinga kai (food gathering places), were what first attracted Māori to this region. Tāmaki Makaurau is Aotearoa New Zealand’s most populous and culturally diverse region, home to over 120 different ethnic communities. We acknowledge the whenua (land) of Tāmaki Makaurau and the mana whenua (local Māori tribes) who hold traditional rights and responsibilities over this land.

Local Hub Venue Location: Room 175, Building 301, 23 Symonds Street, University of Auckland.

Narrm

Melbourne, VIC

The City of Melbourne, traditionally known as Narrm, is located on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. The name Narrm is commonly used by the broader Aboriginal community to refer to the city, originating from the traditional names used by the Wurundjeri and Bunurong peoples for the area where Melbourne now stands. The term is closely related to Narm-narm, the Boonwurrung word for Port Phillip Bay. We acknowledge Narrm as the land on which Melbourne is situated and pay our respects to the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples as the Traditional Custodians.

Local Hub Venue Location: Day 1 Room 2014, Level 2, The Spot (Building 110) The University of Melbourne. Day 2-3: Room 263, Level 2, Kwong Lee Dow Building (Building 263) The University of Melbourne.

Gadigal Country

Sydney, NSW

The original Aboriginal inhabitants of the City of Sydney local area are the Gadigal people. The territory of the Gadigal people stretched along the southern side of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) from South Head to around what is now Petersham. Their southern boundary is the area that now forms the Alexandra Canal and Cooks River. There are about 29 clan groups of the Sydney metropolitan area referred to collectively as the Eora Nation. ‘Eora’ means ‘here’ or ‘from this place’. The Gadigal are a clan of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge Gadigal Country as the land on which Sydney is situated and pay our respects to the Gadigal people as the Traditional Custodians.

Local Hub Venue Location: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Level 4 – Room 04 – 231 Elizabeth Street

Whadjuk Nyoongar Country

Perth, WA

Perth is located on the ancient lands of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, who have been the Traditional Owners of the south-west of Western Australia for at least 45,000 years. The natural environment that was fundamental to Nyoongar culture and sustenance has been substantially transformed by the development of Perth City over the last 200 years. At the time of European settlement in 1829, areas surrounding what is now central Perth were known as Mooro, Beeloo, and Beeliar by the Nyoongar nation. The Whadjuk Nyoongar people, as the Traditional Custodians, maintain a rich cultural connection to these lands. We acknowledge Whadjuk Nyoongar Country and pay our respects to their enduring connection to land, waters, and community.

Local Hub Venue Location: Auditorium (G) & OceanWorks Lounge (L1), Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia

Bindal and Wulgurukaba Country

Townsville, QLD

Traditional Owners and custodians, the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people, are the first people to have lived in the Townsville region. The Bindal people call their country “Thul Garrie Waja,” and an important symbol for them is the shooting star, which signifies danger or someone in need. The Wulgurukaba people call their country “Gurrumbilbarra.” Wulgurukaba means “canoe people,” and their creation story involves the carpet snake, which shaped the land and sea. We acknowledge Bindal and Wulgurukaba Country and pay our respects to the Bindal and Wulgurukaba peoples as the Traditional Custodians of this land.

Local Hub Venue Location: Room 234, The Science Place, JCU Douglas Campus, James Cook University.

The Australasian Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference (AusYCSEC) respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our local hubs are held, including the Kaurna people of Adelaide, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and other mana whenua of Tāmaki Makaurau, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation in Sydney, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people of Perth, and the Bindal and Wulgurukaba peoples of Townsville. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, and community and honour their rich traditions of knowledge, culture, and stewardship that have been maintained for thousands of years.

We pay our deepest respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, who have cared for these lands and waters since time immemorial. We acknowledge the profound cultural heritage, resilience, and enduring spirit of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori, and we commit to fostering respect, understanding, and collaboration. As guests on these lands, we are privileged to conduct our work, research, and events in these beautiful and culturally significant places. We are dedicated to integrating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into our practices and to creating spaces that celebrate and honour the deep connections that Traditional Owners have with Country.

AusYCSEC is committed to promoting meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori, and we strive to build a future where the voices, stories, and contributions of First Nations communities are valued and respected.

If you would like to get in touch with a hub leader please get with us at aus.ycsec@gmail.com or CONTACT US. To get to know your hub hosts please head our HUB COORDINATOR page.

General Information

Once registration is open and you have registered your respective Local Hub host will be in contact with you to provide all necessary details for your hub including venue location, field trip, social events. It is the responsibility of each hub host to coordinate their respective hubs.