Cranny flies the flag

By Bridget Brady
Aboriginal elder and member of Casey’s Access and Inclusion Committee, Doug Smith, presented the flag to the Cranbourne Football Club this month, and said it was great to see the club recognised indigenous people.
“It will be great to see them fly an indigenous flag at the ground just to give it some sort of recognition that the indigenous people were the caretakers and the first people on this land,” Mr Smith said.
The club has an indigenous senior player, and president Gerry Kelly said as the community football club in the area, they liked to reach out to all sections of the community.
“We are very proud to have the Aboriginal flag flying over our flagpole on our home games,” Mr Kelly said.
Mayfield Ward councillor Amanda Stapledon said the club could fly the flag proudly, acknowledging the Aboriginal cultural heritage within the club and at Casey Fields.
“During the clearance of land for development of the Casey Fields site, Aboriginal artefacts were discovered. Casey Fields is on the Cranbourne Sands, a unique geological formation that rose above the old Carrum Carrum/ Kooweerup Swamp complex,” Cr Stapledon said.
“Aboriginal people used the Cranbourne sands as a living area from where they would access the swamps for food and resources. Council worked with the Elders from the Bunurong community in the collection and reburial of the artefacts to preserve the Aboriginal heritage of the site.”