Wyndham’s story includes deep Aboriginal history, pastoral and river landscapes, township development around Werribee, and later growth into one of metropolitan Melbourne’s major municipalities.
Wyndham City Council acknowledges the Bunurong and Wadawurrung Peoples as Traditional Owners of the lands on which Wyndham City operates. Council also notes the enduring connection of these peoples to the Werribee Yalook, creeks, hills, stars and Country.
That cultural context is central to any serious account of Wyndham’s history.
Heritage and local-history material reflects the development of Werribee and the former Shire of Werribee through civic buildings, agricultural settlement, transport links and town-centre growth, later becoming part of the modern City of Wyndham.
The Werribee River and surrounding plains shaped movement, settlement, farming activity and later recreation and tourism patterns.
Wyndham City Libraries maintain family and local-history collections including books, maps, photographs, newspapers, microfiche and microfilm.
The Werribee Historical Museum remains one of the public places where documents, photos and artefacts connected to local history can be accessed.
The later tourism identity captured by the Experience Wyndham name did not appear in a vacuum. It sat on top of an already rich local story involving Country, heritage buildings, open landscapes, visitor attractions and a growing municipal identity.