Reconciliation Week

The Wadawurrung People have always been and always will continue to be the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land that we call Ballarat.  

National Sorry Day is a day to acknowledge the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and the injustice of the Stolen Generations.

The public observance of this date carries great significance for Australia as the generational trauma impacts the Stolen Generations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

It is crucial that all Australians take part in the journey of healing and commemorate this day across the nation.

Today is another opportunity for Australians to remember past mistakes and to be able to continue working together to build and maintain strong, meaningful, and respectful relationship.

Today, the City of Ballarat with endorsement from Ballarat’s Koorie Engagement Action Group, will lay a wreath at the community flagpole in Sturt Street and fly the Aboriginal flag at half-mast to honour and remember lives lost and trauma caused by colonisation.

As a Council, it is crucial we acknowledge the impact the Stolen Generations and other government policies had on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To this day in Ballarat, we can still see some of these profound impacts.

Without accepting the truth of our history, there is no way we can begin to fix the problems of the present.

As we move into National Reconciliation Week, we look forward to recognising the 2023 theme of “Be a Voice for Generations”.

In Ballarat, we will raise the Aboriginal flag in the centre of Sturt Street and our libraries’ early years sessions will all feature First Nations authors and/or illustrators.

National Sorry Day is momentous for all of us to acknowledge our history, with a view of building a better future.

- City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson and KEAG Co-Chair, Sarah Jane Hall  

Friday 26 May  
National Sorry Day Wreath Laying Ceremony.  
4pm to 5pm at Queen Victoria Square Community Flagpole  
Public Event followed by an afternoon tea in the Trench Room

Reconciliation Week is a time for all of us to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and explore how we can help achieve reconciliation in Australia.

Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June each year. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey: the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023, Be a Voice for Generations, encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise.

For the work of generations past, and the benefit of generations future, let’s choose to create a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all.

Reconciliation Week is a time for all of us to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and explore how we can help achieve reconciliation in Australia.

Tuesday 30 May  
National Reconciliation Week Flag Raising Ceremony  
11.00am to 12.30pm at Queen Victoria Square Community Flagpole  
Public Event followed by a morning tea and Q&A/Discussion session in the Trench Room

Download the Reconciliation Week Program of Events