Eel Harvest Time

My name is Robert, I'm a Bunurong Trawoolway man. The eel harvest time of year is around February/March, a ceremony is attached to that as well. It's a really important time for Bunurong people. It's not just about the harvesting of eels, it's about bringing people together as well. There are multiple names for the traditional name for the eel, the word yoke or eyoke, it was recorded by many people.

The migration is the real story behind this, eels go out to sea to be born and live out there for years. Then come back migrating up the freshwater streams, these are significant times for Bunurong people, for food. These harvests change, or the hunting of the eels changes, because the waterways have closed over by dunes and they would use these for eel traps.

The creeks and waterways are open. You would see thousands of eels coming down the creek into the ocean. They go out to the ocean and the older ones to die. The younger ones come back in to lay the eggs and have eels for generations to come. From a ceremonial point of view, this was probably one of the most important ceremonies Bunurong people at this time of the year. There are different things that talk about how these seasons are important. It talks about certain times trees are flowering and certain trees that would flower would be an indicator that the eels are coming.

It's important to understand that these things are community, and it's not just communities from the place where they are eeling. Bunurong people would come from all over the south eastern part of Victoria for these ceremonies. Eeling season is really about community gathering. It's also about storytelling and teaching the younger generation the cultural side of things, learning and bringing people together. For Bunurong people it’s probably one of the most important things is to have that connection. I think the importance of this for Bunurong people is to reconnect and learn the knowledge about this specific practice of eeling.