First Nations honoured at event

THE Survival Day Dawn Ceremony will return to Lake Wendouree on Wednesday, 26 January.

The event which aims to bring the community together will commemorate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples effected by colonisation since the late 1700s.

City of Ballarat representative Cr Belinda Coates said the ceremony is “incredibly important and solemn event” for recognising 26 January as a day of “mourning and profound hurt for First Nations People.”

“26 January is a time to pause and reflect on what it means to live in this great land,” she said. “It’s a time for truth telling and to remember our collective history.”

Like Anzac Day dawn services, the Survival Day event is a way to show respect for First Nations Peoples.

The award-winning ceremony returns to an in-person format after it was live streamed in 2021 due to COVID-19 lockdowns.

The event starts at 5.30am is open to everyone. Attendees will be required to comply with COVID-19 regulations such as social distancing and check in on arrival.

The inaugural Survival Dawn Ceremony held in 2020 was a recipient of a Highly Commended Award in Reconciliation Victoria’s HART, or Helping Achieve Reconciliation Together, Awards.

In 2021 the ceremony was a finalist in the LGPro Awards for Excellence in the Indigenous Community Partnerships category.