“We will tell our children about today” Victorian Treaty with Indigenous people signed into law

HISTORY IS MADE: Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan formally signed Australia’s first-ever Treaty with Indigenous people into law.

In a powerful moment, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan completed the final step on Thursday 13 November 2026, signing off on landmark legislation passed through Parliament on 30 October. The Statewide Treaty Bill will give effect to the first treaty in Australia between First Peoples and a State or Territory Government.

The Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Ngarra Murray, described the legislation as ‘an opportunity for all Victorians to acknowledge our shared history, heal and move forward together’.

This milestone is the culmination of a process that began in 2016, when the Andrews Government expressed its commitment to self-governance for First Peoples. Over the years that followed the Advancing the Treaty Process with Aboriginal Victorians Act 2018 (Vic) came into being, followed by the establishment of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, the Treaty Authority and the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

At the heart of this transformation is Gellung Warl, a brand-new First Peoples’ representative and decision-making body.

According to the legislation, Gellung Warl will play a central role in shaping Victoria’s future by exercising real decision-making powers, representing First Peoples in statewide Treaty negotiations, and ensuring Aboriginal voices are heard at every level of government.

Beyond its governance role, Gellung Warl is also designed to support truth-telling, healing, and ongoing cultural recognition, while providing vital advice to parliament and the state government on issues that matter most to First Peoples.

This is a momentous and hopeful step forward — a proud milestone that honours the strength, leadership, and enduring wisdom of Indigenous communities across Victoria.

“We will tell our children about today,” co-chair and Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung and Dhudhuroa woman Ngarra Murray said today.

“They will tell their children, passing down to future generations the story of how decades of Aboriginal resilience and activism led to Australia’s first Treaty.”