In the lead up to January 26, 2018 Yarra City Council is encouraging the whole community to develop a deeper understanding of Aboriginal culture and its contributions to our rich Australian identity. 

Yarra Mayor, Cr Daniel Nguyen said, “We want to acknowledge the history and achievements of all Australians and commemorate a national day in a more inclusive way.  

“We encourage our community to join together to better understand Aboriginal history, culture and achievements. This history, which spans 60,000 years, is not only for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. It is our shared Australian history,” he said.

Following its decision in August 2017 Yarra City Council is commemorating January 26 to be more inclusive and sensitive to Aboriginal experiences of the date.   

“Like many members of our Aboriginal community, we want to celebrate the diversity of cultures that make up our Australian identity,” said Cr Nguyen.

“We have a lot to be proud of in this country. We believe a national day should be a day that can be enjoyed by everyone.

“We are not seeking to cancel the public holiday. In fact, we encourage people to commemorate the day in any way they choose. What we are hoping to do is get people thinking about the issue and make a collective effort to acknowledge that this date causes pain and sadness for many Aboriginal people and the impacts continue to be felt to this day.

“As Australians, we pride ourselves on the spirit of mateship and always having each other’s back. We should be united in supporting our Aboriginal communities and share in their journey.

“As a community, we can do more to understand Aboriginal experiences, acknowledge their resilience, and celebrate their achievements as our own.

“This is something we can do 365 days a year, not just on January 26. Yarra, especially Fitzroy and Collingwood, has deep connections to the Aboriginal community that remain to this day.

“You only have visit Gertrude Street and the surrounding area to soak up some of this culture. This is the area where the Victorian Aboriginal civil rights movement was born.

“There are plaques on many of the buildings providing historical information about their Aboriginal past. You can visit places like MAYSAR, the historic Aboriginal boxing gym where world champions have trained. There’s Charcoal Lane, the site of the former Aboriginal health service that Muhammed Ali once visited, which is now a great restaurant serving contemporary Australian cuisine.  There’s also some fantastic Aboriginal street art.

“I encourage everyone in our community to appreciate this amazing culture. It’s right here on our doorstep in Yarra,” said Cr Nguyen.

January 26, 2018 marks the 80th anniversary of the Day of Mourning conference and protest in Sydney. This event saw Aboriginal men and women from around the country come together in the spirit of self-determination to call for full citizenship status and equality within the community.

Visit Celebrating Aboriginal Culture in Yarra for a map and historical information about the extraordinary Aboriginal history of the area.

More information about January 26 in Yarra. 

For media enquiries

Contact Jessica Matrakis  - Senior Coordinator Communications and Engagement 

Phone: 0439 842 806

Email: [email protected]