Australia Day: Geelong city council votes to change the way it celebrates

The way January 26 is marked in the City of Greater Geelong will change dramatically next year under a suite of endorsed changes.

Australia Day citizenships at Geelong City Hall in 2021. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Geelong council will no longer refer to January 26 as Australia Day and will instead recognise the “intergenerational trauma” experienced by Indigenous Australians.

City of Greater Geelong councillors voted unanimously at Tuesday’s council meeting to change how it marks the day, following extensive consultation about the contentious date.

From next year, council will refer to the date as January 26, hold a midmorning acknowledgment, recognition and truth telling ceremony at Johnstone Park, host an Indigenous flag raising ceremony at City Hall and an official opening for cultural celebrations and events.

Citizenship ceremonies, traditionally held on Australia Day, will be rescheduled and held within three days of January 26.

They will incorporate First Nations elements into the ceremony.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken said the city had taken a “very good approach” to the contentious date.

“The recommendations presented... have been very much led in the spirit of inclusion, in the spirit of participation,” he said.

Councillor Jim Mason, who holds the council’s First Nations portfolio, said he was “proud” the city was making the changes to take into account the city’s First Nations residents.

“This is not about changing the date, but improving the way we celebrate January 26; how to make it better for the 3750 or more City of Greater Geelong First Nations people, so they don’t feel marginalised or sad or ignored,” he said.

He said January 26 was “a day of sorrow, a day to grieve the loss of culture as well as of country, spiritual and physical, and the loss of family networks”.

The recommendations followed a “comprehensive” six-month engagement process which included 957 responses to a survey and two community forums.

Just under 70 per cent of respondents backed a change in the way Australia Day was commemorated.

The consultation was supported by advice received from the Kilangitj Aboriginal Advisory Committee, a committee that has been providing the city with cultural guidance on First Nations Peoples initiatives.

The city will also support the development of “educational opportunities” regarding the history of January 26 in Geelong.

Mr Mason said the city had a “responsibility” to educate on the “true history of colonial Australia”.

Councillor Peter Murrihy said it was clear “the time was for change”.

“This consultation, nearly 1000 survey responses, clearly showed there was a diversity of views,” he said.

“Of the First Nations responses, 100 per cent wanted a change to the way this day was commemorated.”

Councillor Eddy Kontlej said the changes were not about changing the date of Australia Day, but of “noting and adopting” the views of the community.

“(It’s) about paying respect, further education and enhancing the way we have connectiveness in the community on that day,” he said.

Originally published as Australia Day: Geelong city council votes to change the way it celebrates