AS Australians come to terms with their own meaning of Australia Day, Swan Hill residents have taken the time to celebrate and learn about each other’s cultures.
On Friday evening, locals of all ages, creeds, religions and colours joined forces to celebrate the wide range of people and cultures that make up the Swan Hill community.
There was a strong focus on the region’s First Nations people, with guests invited to place a phrase or symbol on a possum skin rug and didgeridoo.
The designs were burned into the items, which are set to become significant artefacts for council, giving a physical embodiment to the importance of First Nations culture.
The Deadly Trackers dance group opened the night with three dances, before inviting everyone to get involved and perform the Platypus Dance to close the night.
Swan Hill Rural City Council Aboriginal Community Development Officer Jacinta Chaplin said the night felt “empowering”.
“It feels so wonderful to see all of these different cultures coming together and to see how passionate everyone is to be here,” she said.
“Since council announced we would be doing something different this year, it has been great to see the different conversations it has started.
“This is about understanding both points of view, even with people who don’t support it.
“I’m always willing to have a conversation, hear their point of view and see how we can land on some middle ground.”
Ms Chaplin said she understood those who wanted to be proud on Australia Day, but that she hoped others would understand those with a differing opinion.
“There are some people who are recent Australians, and they want to be proud and have a day that they can celebrate,” she said.
“There are mobs who have been here for years, who want to be proud of this country, of their and their families’ achievements and I respect that.
“But you’ve also got to understand that for Aboriginal people, it can be very hard to celebrate on the 26th.
“Even though the event seems festive, there is still the aspect of reviving culture and the survival of our culture.
“We are loving and sharing people, and we don’t want to exclude anyone or any culture.
“I believe that a lot of the differences between cultures just stems from a lack of understanding.”
Swan Hill Mayor Stuart King said the night was about respecting all who make up our community.
“We can’t just change what’s going on in Australia with the click of our fingers, or in an instant but what we can influence is what happens in our local community,” he said.
“With all of us in our community doing our bit, we may be able to influence the whole of the country one day, but we need to start here and work our way out from there.
“As a council, we are committed to all sectors of the community, and like I said on stage, community is made up of two words: ‘common’ and ‘unity’.
“We will do what we can do to build that common unity, whether it’s with our First Nations community, whether it’s with someone from the however many nations were represented at last night’s ceremony.”
Guest Jordan Johnston said the event filled him with hope.
“An event like this fills me with a real sense of pride, but also a sense of relief,” he said.
“To see the community coming together on a day that isn’t celebrated by all.
“There’s a big acknowledgement from council about how members of our community feel about today.
“To see our culture acknowledged, instead of feeling oppressed on a day like this, it’s incredible.
“A big part of our community is passing on our wisdom and knowledge to the next generation and seeing younger kids out here getting into the culture, it makes me proud.”
