At First National Real Estate Maitland we believe that how we work is as important as what we do. It is important to us as a non-indigenous company that operates in transacting country of first nations peoples that we do so with respect and through meaningful connections with indigenous people and organisations.

We believe understanding culture and connection to country is a vital part of healing and reconciliation. When we acknowledge Country we are saying “we see you and we respect you”. This matters.

Cobble Cobble woman and constitutional lawyer Megan Davis is quoted as saying an Acknowledgement of Country in Australia is “an ancient cultural practice relating to the regulation of strangers on country, born of recognition, relatedness and reciprocity, that has become a welcoming convention for the nation.”

As both a traditional Australian cultural welcome to our company and a sincere, heartfelt recognition of the first nations people of our beloved region, at First National Real Estate Maitland we offer this acknowledgement of country.

First National Real Estate Maitland was founded on the lands of the Wonnarua people where dreamtime stories explain that the land formations and rivers here were created by the spirit Baiame, or Sky Father. Baiame's biggest lesion for man was he is not the master of the land, the land owns him.

We pay our respect and acknowledge the Wonnarua people and all traditional custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, rivers, sea and community. We recognise the deep and enduring spiritual connections and relationships First Nations people have with community, lands, waterways, air and sky and pay our respect to their elders past, present and emerging.

Furthermore, we acknowledge the incredible strength, knowledge, skills and lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their resilience that remains unbroken even after more than 60,000 years.