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‘At the mercy of the Day of Mourning’: peaceful protest fills Queen’s Gardens
Hundreds of people gathered at the Queen’s Gardens on January 26 to peacefully protest council decisions relating to changing the date of Australia Day and assert their sovereign rights to mourn the impacts of what they described as colonial invasion.
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The event, which took place across the morning and into lunch, provided opportunity for First Nations peoples and allies to come together and stand in solidarity.
Speeches made at the event were accompanied by musical and dancing performances by Wulumburra Dancers and Yorta Yorta artists Jason Tamiru, BricKy B, Scott Darlow and his daughter Kiah and Briggs.
The event was spurred on by several decisions made by Greater Shepparton City Council last year that resulted in the re-implementation of Australia Day events and funding after their initial removal in a council decision back in 2022.
Speeches from many high-profile Yorta Yorta leaders and Elders and community members were made — many of them descendants of highly influential Aboriginal leaders such as Uncle Jack Patten, Aunty Margaret Tucker, Sir Douglas Nicholls, Uncle Bill Onus and many more.
Speeches highlighted the struggles stemming from this date that have plagued First Nations peoples for generations.
But they also highlighted the resilience shown and hard work done those before them to secure a better future.
First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria co-chair Ngarra Murray started the event by talking about January 26 and what it meant to First Nations peoples.
“January 26 has been long touted as a day of unity, a celebration of national pride and identity, but for us — it is a painful reminder of the injustices we’ve faced,” Ms Murray said.
“Each year we dread this day and the racism and ignorance that comes with it, and each year the nation chooses to open up old wounds and rub salt into them, and we can’t change history, but we can learn from it and changing the date of Australia Day would create a pathway towards unity grounded in truth.”
The event also saw Cr Sam Spinks and former councillor Greg James share their thoughts on council’s various decisions regarding January 26 in the past 12 months.
“In 2022, I was very proud of my councillors at the time and my community in supporting and backing me in changing this day,” Mr James said.
“The next year, we got some complaints about it, which we expected, but then moving forward, of course, I unfortunately missed some of those really important meetings where the decision was made late in 2024 about changing the date back again.
“The thing that annoys me is there’s a mural of Private Cooper embedded on council buildings and if you look around Shepparton you see all the murals of our greats embossed on our walls.
“It says — Shepparton council, you show respect in regards to the murals about our contribution and achievements but yet, you don’t want to recognise us, you want to disregard us on one of the most important days where we need your help and support.”
Mr James expressed confidence that this time next year things would be different and presented a message stick to Cr Spinks alongside a statement to take to councillors about what the local Indigenous community wanted moving forward.
Cr Spinks, who was the only councillor at last December’s meeting to not support Cr Fern Summer’s motion to hold a Shepparton Australia Day event this year, said she would continue to be a voice for Greater Shepparton’s Yorta Yorta people.
“It is not lost on me that in December, we failed you, and we have to do better, and nothing changes if nothing changes, and we have to make sure that we are working to do better, to fight for better, and to make sure that we are hearing your voices and listening to them and acting on them,” Cr Spinks said.
“I cannot speak for the whole of council, but I can speak for myself, and I will say that I am committed to continuing to raise your voices whenever I can, to showing up and standing with you always, and that when I am alone in the room where I have power, I will make sure I am acting for you in the way that you want me to.”
To share your voice on the matter, a petition is available to sign that urges council to honour its reconciliation commitment in its reconciliation action plan to recognise the day as one of mourning and devise another celebration event on another day.
What community Elders and leaders had to say
Belinda Briggs
“We have that amazing history that we carry and today is about bringing that to the floor and feeling strong, drawing on that strength, and using that to be well in the face of everything that we still endure, that our ancestors and Elders fought for and what enabled us to be here today.”
Ngarra Murray
“Changing the date is not about assigning guilt to non-Indigenous Australians, but about fostering empathy and respect for the true history of this land and its step towards building a nation that embraces our diversity, but also our First Peoples right across this country.”
Aunty Pam Pederson
“Each year, I just find this day very difficult at times and going to these events. We always seem to be fighting and trying to get on top of everything, and it’s hard work.”
Uncle Colin Walker
“I’m a sad man at times because I lived under the Aboriginal Protection Board, and now we’re under the land rights act, which I call the wrong long act. When are the Aboriginal people going to be free on their own land?”
Tiriki Onus
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s that we are incredibly strong and we are incredibly patient people as well, and as long as we keep telling those stories, as long as we keep embracing that truth, these stories will out, and more and more people will come to know the strength that everyone should be proud of, that sits beneath our very feet.”
Paul Briggs
“It is about framing ourselves in this city and having a footprint in the city, and having a place that’s got a cultural refuge place where we can be ourselves, we can speak our language, if that’s what we wish. We can practise our cultural relationships, our family connections, and it’s just a place that’s a healing place.”
Neil Morris
“It is our right to continue to do what we do, but it’s also an obligation to our future generations to make sure that how the land is and how society is for us today, that we can do everything in our power to make sure that it’s better for them.”
Tanya Rossi
“I think that’s our job, to keep telling these stories, keep educating people, and get through so we can all work like my nan (Aunty Margaret Tucker) wanted to work as one and work in unity with everybody.”
Felicia Dean
“We love our culture, we love our connection to this land, and that’s what makes us strong. Truth telling must happen in this country, because until that happens, there is no justice for us. I’m not going to debate what today is, because facts mean more than lies.“
Greg James
“Generational trauma is part of our current operations on how we are now. It’s a generational trauma that comes back and bites us and remind us as to where we are, reminds us that we haven’t really got anywhere we’re still trapped in this same cycle of this generational trauma.”
Uncle Bobby Nicholls
“Some people use it (January 26) as a day of celebration. We haven’t and 87 years later, we’re still at the mercy of the Day of Mourning. We still haven’t got over that. When will we see that?”
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