December 23rd, 2024Celebrating the Mount…

A crowd of 250 to 300 people gathered in perfect conditions in the crater  of Lalgambuk (Mount Franklin) on Wednesday, December 11 to celebrate  International Mountain Day at a special event hosted by DJAARA.  

People, including school children, came together from throughout the region to learn more about International Mountain Day and particularly about the immense significance of mountainous landscapes to Indigenous cultures globally and through  time.  

Attendees took part in several educational and cultural activities including a guided walk that took them part of the way around the volcanic crater rim of  Lalgambuk.  

There was also a lively traditional emu dance that enticed quite a few to join in  and try out the moves.  The event also offered the chance to hear from Dja Dja Wurrung man, Harley  Douglas who grew up on Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country) not far from where  Wednesday’s celebration took place.  

Harley talked with attendees about his and his family’s long-standing connections  to Lalgambuk.  Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation group CEO Rodney Carter also  spoke, welcoming the crowd.  

A traditional Indigenous smoking ceremony was a feature of the occasion that was  celebrated as a day to come together as one people and connect with Country.  

It’s now hoped that International Mountain Day will become a regularly  celebrated fixture on the region’s calendar.  

Words: Eve Lamb