City of Ballarat unveils National Reconciliation Week 2025 program: ‘Bridging Now to Next’

The City of Ballarat is proud to deliver a series of events and activities to mark National Reconciliation Week 2025.  

This year’s theme, Bridging Now to Next, calls on all Australians to reflect on our shared past, consider our present, and work together towards a more united future.  

National Reconciliation Week will run from Tuesday, May 27 to Tuesday, June 3, with a range of events highlighting the commitment to working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community across the City of Ballarat. 

As part of the City of Ballarat's commitment to advancing reconciliation, several events across National Day of Healing (Sorry Day) and National Reconciliation Week for all ages are being hosted and have been shared on the Ballarat First Nations Events page.    

As a pre-cursor to Reconciliation Week, the City of Ballarat will also share in a collaborative flag-raising event with Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC) on Monday, May 26 to mark Sorry Day. 

Significantly, it will be the first time the City of Ballarat has taken part in a Sorry Day commemorative event in collaboration with BADAC and CAFS. 

It follows several events in the last two years that highlight greater unity between the City of Ballarat, BADAC, and the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, including flag-raisings, festival exhibitions, panel events and the 2024 inaugural collaborative NAIDOC Week events. 

The City of Ballarat’s launch of Reconciliation Week 2025 will be held at the Bridge Mall, with a Wadawurrung ceremony to mark the occasion at the Yarramlok/Yarrowee Creek viewing portal. 

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the City of Ballarat valued strengthening its relationships with local Indigenous peak bodies and community groups. 

“Reconciliation Week is a time for our community to come together, acknowledge our history, and commit to a future built on respect and understanding,” she said. 

“Learning about the histories and cultures of the First Peoples of Australia and our shared history allows us to build a deeper understanding of one another.  

“Educating ourselves will help us to call out racism when we see it and better understand how to invest in working together to close gaps and for equality and equity, institutional integrity and unity for the benefit of all Australians.” 

National Reconciliation Week 2025 key events and activities in Ballarat: 

To see all of the National Reconciliation Week events across Ballarat, visit the Ballarat First Nations website.