Aunty Annie Borate, known traditionally as Borate (a.k.a. Boorat or Boorrort or Barat), was the daughter of Bebejan who was Ngurungaeta (head man) of the Wurundjeri people and Tooterie. She was the younger sister of Uncle William Barak.
She was born on the Plenty River at the beginning of Victoria’s invasion, when colonists were first arriving on the southern lands and attended the Merri Creek Mission School in the 1840’s.
Aunty Annie’s other brother Parrpun negotiaqted her marriage to Andrew Pondy-yaweet of the Kurnai, while Uncle Barak Married Lizzie as part of the exchange. Aunty Annie and Andrews ‘marriage’ was eventually ended in what would now be known as a ‘no fault divorce’. The marriage arrangement formed a new alliance outside of the Kulin nation which was not usual practice but showed how extreme the threat of invasion was to the community.
Aunty Annie had several children, with only her eldest son, Uncle Robert Wandin (Wandoon) surviving to adulthood. All Wurundjeri people are descended from her through her son.