Evidence Library

Viki Sinclair is a direct descendant of one of the original settlers of Gippsland, Colin McLaren. In this submission, she tells her personal story of her family’s part in white settlement enacting genocide on the original Aboriginal peoples in Gippsland. She hopes her submission brings about real and lasting change to Gippsland’s documented and accepted history and invites other descendants of settlers to look hard into the limited versions of their ancestry.

This submission is from Mary Hassall, a descendant of James Hassall, after whom the Hassall creek on Gunditj Country is named. It discusses her research and exploration of the Hassalls’ history as settlers of Gunditjmara Land and the Hassalls’ relationships with First Nations Peoples.