As some in the Australian state of Victoria celebrated the end of a long coronavirus lockdown, for many it was a day of mourning. In the northwest of the state, a yellow box gumtree, part of a cluster of ancient trees, was felled. The trees here are sacred to local indigenous Djab Wurrung people; women have traditionally gone to them to give birth.
‘They are part of our culture – they have watched over us, protected us, and been a part of our story for generations,’ says Aunty Sandra Onus, a Djab Wurrung elder.
