For the past couple of years, new stories on StoryBox Hub have opened with an Acknowledgement of Country. It was a decision made with the best of intentions. But as our library has grown, educators told us something important: hearing a similar short Acknowledgement before every single story was starting to lose its impact. Children were tuning out rather than tuning in.

We listened. And rather than simply removing the Acknowledgement of Country, we used the feedback as an opportunity to give it the space and attention it deserves.

Today we're launching a dedicated Acknowledgement of Country page, and changing how Acknowledgements appear across our videos.

A message from our Founder, Nicole Brownlee

As the journey from pressing play to reaching the story itself has lengthened, StoryBox wanted to ensure the Acknowledgement of Country remained intentional and meaningful, not something children become immune to through repetition.

Many storytellers have shared their Acknowledgements with us, and we'll continue to record and add more. They deserve to be discovered and celebrated on their own terms, and children deserve the space to actually understand them.

This page is built in genuine partnership with First Nations' voices. It reflects what we believe: that the Acknowledgement of Country is central to who we are, and the way we present it should match that.

– Nicole Brownlee, Founder

What's on the page

The Acknowledgement of Country page brings together:

  • 3 different featured Acknowledgement of Country videos each visit

  • A browsable archive of storyteller recordings, growing as new Acknowledgements are recorded

  • The Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung acknowledgement of the Kulin Nation, where StoryBox Hub is based

  • Recognition of the many Countries our stories are filmed on and our content reaches

  • A link to our Reconciliation Action Plan, which outlines our broader commitment to this ongoing work

  • Inclusion of our short film Stories Connect Us All

Choose the Acknowledgement that speaks to you

When you visit the page, you'll see three Acknowledgement of Country videos, each showing the storyteller's name and the Country where it was filmed. Scroll through the three, or click Hear More Voices (or refresh the page) to see three new ones. With many Acknowledgements to choose from today, and more being added, you can find one by storyteller or by Country.

We also have a Children's Acknowledgement of Country, made especially for our youngest, preschool-aged audience, and an Auslan edition.

Always there, whenever you want it

The Acknowledgement of Country page is permanently accessible from every page on StoryBox Hub, so it's there whenever you want to watch, revisit a favourite storyteller or hear from storytellers connected to Country you haven't encountered before.

Managing your Acknowledgement of Country preferences

Alongside the new page, we're changing how Acknowledgements of Country play within our videos. Instead of the Acknowledgement automatically playing before every story, our videos now use chapters, giving you control over how and when you see it.

Account Holders, Library Patrons and users who have logged in via SSO can set their Acknowledgement of Country preference:

  1. Log into your account settings.

  2. Scroll down to Play Acknowledgement of Country before Stories.

  3. Choose to view the Acknowledgement of Country everywhere by default, skip it everywhere, or skip it within playlists only.

  4. Click the Submit button to save.

N.B. This setting applies whether you're watching from our website or our apps.

If you don't set a preference, videos will skip the Acknowledgement of Country by default. It's never far away though: the full page of Acknowledgements is always available whenever you'd like to watch, listen or learn more.

An ongoing commitment

This isn't a finished project. StoryBox Hub will keep recording new Acknowledgements of Country with storytellers as they're created, so the archive continues to grow and evolve.

Bringing it into the classroom

The Acknowledgement of Country page isn't just there for reference, it's a great resource in its own right. Here are a few ways to bring it into your teaching with intention.

Make it part of your rhythm. Try choosing a different Acknowledgement to open your StoryBox Hub session or your literacy block each day. Rotating through storytellers helps children understand that an Acknowledgement of Country isn't a single fixed script, but something living, spoken differently by different people, from different Country.

Put it on the map. After watching, mark where the storyteller is speaking from on a classroom map. It's a simple, visual way to build children's understanding that Country isn't one place, and that the voices they're hearing come from all over Australia.

Use it as a model. These Acknowledgements are also strong examples of spoken and written craft: rhythm, repetition and care in word choice. Play one alongside a writing or speaking task and ask students what makes it work, as a model text as much as a cultural practice.