The mayor of a beachside Sydney council has batted away criticisms of a January 26 dawn reflection ceremony at Bondi Beach, that seeks to acknowledge the “ongoing resilience and survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and cultures”.
For the second year in a row, Waverley Council will hold the Australia Day event on the beach in front of Bondi Pavilion.
The ceremony will start at 5.30am on Friday and will begin with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony of traditional custodians, and performances by the La Perouse Gamay dancers and Jannawi Dance Clan.
While criticisms on social media were quick to lash the event as “truly divisive,” Waverley Council Mayor Paula Masselos said those opinions were “uninformed”.
“It’s not (divisive) because the thing is everyone’s invited. But it’s also about educating people, it’s giving them information,” she said.
“Last year, there was a lot of storytelling around First Nations survival, what it actually means and the coming together as a community.
“Not everyone knows those stories and we’re doing it in a way that is inclusive, respectful and is hopefully a way to really help everyone move forward.”
Ms Masselos said Waverley Council was in the federal electorate of Wentworth, which had the third highest percentage of voters who backed the Voice in the 2023 referendum, behind Sydney and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s own seat of Grayndler.
“This is something that acknowledges our electorate supported the Uluru Statement and that as a council we have a Reconciliation Action Plan where we’re looking to undertake programs for our First Nations people but also building understanding, respect and awareness for the broader community,” she said.
“It’s a positive and powerful way to acknowledge the resilience of our First Nations people and their connection to land.”
As part of NSW’s official Australia Day celebrations, a dawn reflection ceremony will also be held from 5.20am to 5.40am at the Sydney Opera House.
During the event, the Australian and Australian Aboriginal flag will be raised on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and an artwork celebrating Aboriginal culture will also be illuminated on the Sydney Opera House.
While January 26 officially marks the day Captain Arthur Phillip landed in Sydney Cove NSW, and claimed the land for the British, it is also referred to as Invasion Day and marked by protests and vigils.
This year, Cricket Australia and organisers of the Australian Open have said they will not commemorate the day as Australia Day, with Woolworths also scrapping the sale of themed merchandise.
Questioning the decision of the sporting bodies, NSW Premier Chris Minns said Australia Day was an “opportunity” for Australians to “come together and the fact that we live in the greatest country on Earth”.
“There’s not many opportunities where we get to spend a day away from work come together as a community and recognise how great it is to live here,” he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was a day where Australians could “reflect on who we are as a nation”.
“January 26 commemorates the founding of the colony in NSW but also in recent times, of course multicultural Australia as well,” he said.