Ballarat’s line-up of annual January 26 activities and events are set to continue unchanged following a decision by the City of Ballarat Council.

The City of Ballarat will continue with its current offering of events and activities on 26 January after the council, at its recent scheduled July meeting, endorsed a report into community engagement relating to future activities and events to be held on the day.

Following a resolution at the December 2023 council meeting, a survey was hosted on the City of Ballarat’s MySay page to gauge community interest in activities and events on the public holiday.

The results showed that there is a variety of suggestions and opinions shared by the community and that the current mix of 26 January activities is providing options that appeal to different community members.

The current line-up of events and activities on 26 January that will continue includes: the Survival Day Dawn Ceremony and associated activities, Picnic in the Park and Citizenship Ceremonies.

Ballarat’s fifth annual Survival Day Dawn Ceremony this Friday, January 26 will be complemented by the addition of a Community Reflection and Healing Day activities program extending into the afternoon.

In what is becoming one of the most meaningful events on the regional city’s calendar, the Koorie Engagement Action Group is inviting everyone to the ceremony to be held from 5.30am at View Point, Lake Wendouree.

KEAG is an advisory committee that provides the City of Ballarat with expertise in local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters.

KEAG co-chair and City of Ballarat Councillor Belinda Coates said the community was warmly invited to join in solidarity for truth-telling, healing and learning.  

“The annual event recognises and pays respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultures, Country, and histories,” she said.

“Come along and be part of a meaningful, healing and respectful journey.”

The first Survival Day Dawn Ceremony on Wadawurrung lands was held in Ballarat in 2020. The ceremony, initiated by the KEAG has grown in attendance steadily since its inception and in 2024, the fifth iteration will see special guests include Uncle Andrew Jackomos PSM, Uncle Alan Harris, Mel Peters and MC Belinda Duarte.

This year the Dawn Ceremony will feature a ceremonial circle, local community dancers and a Wadawurrung Smoking Ceremony. The Survival Day Dawn Ceremony will run until 6.40am.  

KEAG will extend the day’s offerings by hosting a Community Reflection and Healing Day from 9am to 2pm at View Point, Lake Wendouree.

Some of the activities on the day will include:  

• A Wadawurrung poetry workshop,
• Ochre education sessions and cultural activities,
• Yidaki/Didgeridoo lessons for men and boys,
• A Welcome Weaving Hub and Craft Stations led by Aboriginal artists as part of City of Ballarat’s celebration as a UNESCO City of Craft.
• An author talk with Black & Write Festival director Jane Harrison on her book, The Visitors
• Local Musicians including deborahN and Trudy Fatnowna Edgeley
• a 1.30pm Wadawurrung cleansing ceremony for one and all to start the year together with a focus on reconciliation and celebrating deep histories and cultures.  

City of Ballarat Deputy Mayor, Cr Peter Eddy said the Survival Day Dawn Ceremony and the inaugural Community Reflection and Healing Day is an inclusive event for all.  

“These events are a recognition of the continuity and survival of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures,” he said.

“We fully acknowledge that 26 January is an incredibly difficult day for many people, and it is absolutely crucial we never forget that. These events are about cultural strengthening and creating safer places for First Nations people.

“Our community has been excellent in supporting this event since its inception and this year the extended program allows those who attend the opportunity to experience the cultures of our country’s First Nations Peoples.”

Uncle Alan Harris, a respected local figure and Noongar Elder from the Bibbulman clan of the Noongar Nation and the Ngaanyatjarra people of the Western Desert, shared what Survival Day meant to him.

“It’s absolutely crucial for every Australian to courageously take strides in forging unity within this, our nation, and relentlessly work towards constructing a robust and interconnected community,” he said.

“Together, let us declare our unwavering allegiance to diversity, transforming it into the rallying anthem that echoes fiercely through the very heart of our country. This is my Survival Day Message.”

Sarah Jane Hall, KEAG Co-Chair and proud Narungga woman, said the event aims to create a space for reflection, healing, and unity among all Australians.

“The Survival Day Dawn Ceremony is an inclusive event that acknowledges and commemorates the resilience and strength of Indigenous Australians despite the historical and ongoing traumas they have faced,” she said. 

The Mount Alexander Shire Council is inviting the wider community to come together for a free family-friendly event to celebrate Australia Day – Survival Day this Friday January 26.

The event will be held at Castlemaine’s Victory Park from 10.00 am, and will include a Welcome to Country by Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Uncle Rick Nelson, a citizenship ceremony and the presentation of local Australia Day Awards.

The event will also include a Survival Day concert, programmed and hosted by Uncle Rick Nelson. The line-up includes performers Bart Willoughby, Allara & Olenka, Kinja, and others.

“Council and the Dja Dja Wurrung community have a long history of working together towards reconciliation,” said Mayor Matthew Driscoll.  

“The Survival Day concert on 26 January is one example of that reconciliation in action.

“Last year’s Survival Day concert was fantastic, with performances from The Rattlers, Darcy Spiller, Yung Warriors, Tjimba Possum Burns and more.

“We had some really positive feedback about the event, and I’m looking forward to being able to do it all again.   

“Bart Willoughby is an icon in the music scene, and has played with some incredible bands like No Fixed Address, Goanna, and also The Black Arm Band.

“It’s great to be able to have him perform here in the shire for the Survival Day concert.

“We’ve got more artists that we’ll be announcing soon, so come along to Victory Park on the day and enjoy the concert,” said Mayor Driscoll.  

In 2018, under the leadership of Dja Dja Wurrung Elders, the council decided to formally dual name events held on 26 January as Australia Day – Survival Day.

The renaming of the day recognises how celebrations on this day impact the First Nations community. It is also one of the actions the council says it’s taking towards reconciliation.

Event details:

What: Australia Day – Survival Day community event
When: Friday 26 January, 10.00am – 2.00pm
Where: Victory Park – 30 Mostyn Street, Castlemaine
Cost: Free