Yarra City Council will be acknowledging January 26 with respect and sensitivity.

“For the Wurundjeri and many in the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, January 26 marks the beginning of invasion and dispossession,” said Yarra Mayor, Cr Claudia Nguyen.

“Celebratory events held on this anniversary can intensify the sadness, pain and disconnection experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

“Our national day should be a day that can be celebrated by everyone, including our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.”

To recognise this day of survival and mourning, Council encourages people to learn more about the Aboriginal history of Yarra and connect with local culture in interactive ways, such as the Yalinguth Heritage Walk and audio experience.

Share the Spirit festival will also be taking place on 26 January at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The free, community-based event “celebrates the survival of First Nations peoples in Australia.” Featuring music, art, craft and culture, the 2023 theme of the festival is “Continuum: Those Who Tell Their Story in Song.”

Yarra City Council recognises the strength and resilience of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and reaffirms its commitment to work with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to help advocate for a broader understanding of their experiences and stories.

Learn more about January 26 and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in Yarra

Yarra is home to a proud local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, with Fitzroy and Collingwood being the birthplace of the Victorian Aboriginal civil rights movement. A progressive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and culture is still thriving in Yarra today.

Yarra City Council has a strong and longstanding relationship with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The unanimous decision to change the way we mark January 26 was made by Yarra City Council on 15 August 2017 (read the full Council resolution).

Learn more on our January 26 in Yarra page.