Geelong council’s First Nations Woman award abandoned as part of Australia Day blowback
City Hall’s move to bring back Australia Day celebrations has seen a women’s award canned and council slammed in an acceptance speech.
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City Hall has been forced to abandon an annual award that honours the efforts of a local Indigenous woman as the fallout continues from Geelong council’s controversial move to reinstate Australia Day celebrations.
Both nominees for the First Nations Woman category at council’s recent Women in Community Life Awards refused to accept their nomination, meaning no winner was announced for the first time in its nine-year history.
One of those nominated was Julie Saylor-Briggs, who worked as the City of Greater Geelong’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander senior policy officer for 2½ years.
Ms Saylor-Briggs, who left City Hall 12 months ago for a job at Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, was pivotal in the community consultation process that underpinned council’s unanimous decision in May 2023 to cease celebrations on January 26.
Buoyed by the election of a new conservative-majority council, Eddy Kontelj late last year led the charge to reinstate Australia Day activities, angering many in the community, including those involved in the consultation process.
The public gallery at council’s January meeting was ejected as tensions between opposing sides boiled over.
Mr Kontelj attended the March 5 awards event when Noor Al-Assafi, who won the Human Rights prize, criticised the council on multiple fronts.
Ms Al-Assafi, co-founder of the Free Palestine Geelong movement and a member of the more recent Be Tru 2 Uluru group, described the award as “bittersweet”.
“Invasion Day is a crime against humanity, specifically against First Nations women who suffered so greatly at the hands of white settlers,” she said.
“The council decided that day, that crime against First Nations women was something to celebrate, people in this room decided that.”
Fellow award winner Teagan Mitchell, who unsuccessfully stood for council, expressed solidarity with the First Nations award nominees.
“I cannot blame them for walking away when the council decided to backflip on a decision made in good faith that was guided by the First Nations people who live in Geelong,” she said.
The awards booklet said the First Nations nominees had exhibited strong leadership and advocacy.
“The City of Greater Geelong is committed to the continuation of this category and working together with our First Nations community to recognise and celebrate the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women,” it said.
City Hall chief executive Ali Wastie said: “We respect their decision to decline at this time.”
Mr Kontelj said he was “grateful to attend the Women in Community Life Awards and celebrate with all those that chose to participate”.
The awards event is further proof of council’s strained relationship with the First Nations community.
In an email sent to all councillors in January, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative chair Jordan Edwards and chief executive Simon Flagg slammed mayor Stretch Kontelj.
The pair accused him of being indifferent to their hurt and telling them how to feel during a heated January 13 meeting.
“During our meeting with Stretch, he showed no regard to the hurt and pain expressed that our community are feeling, following this decision by council,” they wrote.
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