June 1st, 2025Reconciliation week activities under way in Ballarat

The City of Ballarat is currently delivering a series of events and activities to mark National Reconciliation Week.

This year’s theme, Bridging Now to Next, calls on all Australians to reflect on our shared past, consider our present, and work together towards a more united future.  

National Reconciliation Week began last Tuesday, May 27 and continues through to this Tuesday, June 3, with a range of events highlighting the commitment to working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community across the City of Ballarat. 

As part of the City of Ballarat’s commitment to advancing reconciliation, several events across National Day of Healing (Sorry Day) and National Reconciliation Week for all ages are being hosted and have been shared on the Ballarat First Nations Events page.    

As a pre-cursor to Reconciliation Week, the City of Ballarat will also shared in a collaborative flag-raising event with Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC) on Monday, May 26 to mark Sorry Day. 

Significantly, it is the first time the City of Ballarat has taken part in a Sorry Day commemorative event in collaboration with BADAC and CAFS. 

It follows several events in the last two years that highlight greater unity between the City of Ballarat, BADAC, and the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, including flag-raisings, festival exhibitions, panel events and the 2024 inaugural collaborative NAIDOC Week events. 

The City of Ballarat’s launch of Reconciliation Week 2025 was held at the Bridge Mall, with a Wadawurrung ceremony to mark the occasion at the Yarramlok/Yarrowee Creek viewing portal. 

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the City of Ballarat valued strengthening its relationships with local Indigenous peak bodies and community groups. 

“Reconciliation Week is a time for our community to come together, acknowledge our history, and commit to a future built on respect and understanding,” she said. 

“Learning about the histories and cultures of the First Peoples of Australia and our shared history allows us to build a deeper understanding of one another.  

“Educating ourselves will help us to call out racism when we see it and better understand how to invest in working together to close gaps and for equality and equity, institutional integrity and unity for the benefit of all Australians.” 

National Reconciliation Week 2025 key events and activities in Ballarat: 

• Daily Bridge Mall native plant walking tours: The City of Ballarat will collaborate with Wadawurrung nursery and Leigh Catchment Group to deliver free native plant walks. Learn of some of the designs, plants and Wadawurrung language choices used through Bridge Mall. The 30-minute weekday walks will start daily at 12.30pm from the Yarramlok/Yarrowee Creek viewing portal continuing to Tuesday, 3 June. 

• Library storytimes and cultural sessions: Special sessions throughout National Reconciliation Week at Ballarat, Sebastopol, and Wendouree Libraries will feature stories and events connecting with the 2025 theme ‘Bridging Now to Next’. 

To see all of the National Reconciliation Week events across Ballarat, visit the Ballarat First Nations website.