Respect and Recognition

Australia Day Awards  
Survival Day Component

Mount Alexander Shire Council has introduced a Survival Day component to their annual Australia Day ceremony. 

For their 2018 Australia Day community event, the focus was to highlight the significant partnership between the local DjaDja Wurrung community and Council and to tackle the controversy around Australia Day head on, through the inclusion of the ‘Survival Day’ component.

Given the increasing focus on the Indigenous perspective of Australia Day, the aim of the initiative was to highlight and encourage open discussions about the impact of Australia Day on the Indigenous community. 

The event also included consultation with the Nalderun Upper Loddon Committee to explore ways Council could enhance and increase the number of meaningful Indigenous elements into the ceremony and how to address the divisive issue of how Australia Day celebrations impact Aboriginal people.