Blacktown Aboriginal elder says council should still celebrate Australia Day on January 26

ABORIGINAL elder Uncle Gordon Workman has slammed a Melbourne council for voting to stop referring to January 26 as Australia Day, saying it will divide the nation.

Aboriginal elder Uncle Gordon Workman hits back at changes to Australia Day made by a Melbourne Council. Picture: Phillip Rogers

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ABORIGINAL elder Uncle Gordon Workman has slammed a Melbourne council for voting to stop referring to January 26 as Australia Day.

Yarra Council, which represents Melbourne’s inner northeast, elected to feature a small smoking ceremony and refer to the day as “January 26” until another term is adopted nationally.

Last week, the council also voted unanimously to no longer hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26, which has also become known as Invasion Day among many indigenous Australians.

Darebin Mayor Kim Le Cerf. Her council voted to make big changes to its Australia Day celebrations. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Darebin Council, also in Melbourne, voted overnight to scrap itss citizenship ceremony from Australia Day, will replace it with a “culturally appropriate” event and would rename its Australia Day awards with the Darebin community awards.

Blacktown’s local government area is home to the largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in NSW.

Mr Workman said he was happy Blacktown Council did not follow Yarra Council.

But Mr Workman, the former president of the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation, said the move was pointless because it would only divide the community.

“As far as I’m concerned it’s not going to change the day whatsoever, it’s part of history,” he said.

“This will create a divide; it’s a further nail in the coffin. Instead of bringing everybody together it’s just pulling everybody apart again.”

Mr Workman said councils should focus on more important issues such as aiding the community with monitoring electricity bills.

Mr Workman said he was a proud “Blacktownist” and was pleased Blacktown Council was not a “sheep” when it came to following such movements.

MAYOR DEFENDS DECISION TO DUMP AUSTRALIA DAY

A Blacktown Council spokesman said it did not wish to comment on Yarra Council’s actions. But he said “celebrations and ceremonies on Australia Day will continue as planned”.