THE passing of another Australia Day public holiday on Friday 26 January was marked across the Mornington Peninsula by private gatherings of friends, backyard barbecues and a few flag raising ceremonies, but none specifically held by Mornington Peninsula Shire.
However, flags were raised at events part-sponsored by the shire.
The shire held an afternoon invitation-only citizenship ceremony in Rosebud’s Memorial Hall.
At Hastings, the national flag was flown at half-mast during a Change the Date event, although not at the direction of the event’s organisers, the Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association.
“Aboriginal community members and non-Indigenous allies advocated for an alternative date to be chosen for Australia’s national day of celebration, one that was inclusive for all,” the association’s CEO Peter Aldenhoven said.
“The consistent message from all speakers at the event [in Pound Road] was that a date celebrating the arrival of the First Fleet and portending all the damaging consequences of colonisation for First Nations’ Peoples must be changed.
“Many elders spoke of their sadness and pain on this day and many non-Indigenous allies, including [Mornington Peninsula Shire] councillors Despi O’Connor and Sarah Race empathised with this heartfelt call for change.”
First published in the Mornington News – 30 January 2024
