Events for healing and reflection

Published on 22 January 2025

Two community events to be held in Port Fairy will provide opportunities for shared reflection, healing and celebration.

25 January 2025
From 5:00pm on Saturday 25 January 2025, community members are invited to East Beach on Peek Whurrong Country in Port Fairy for an evening of truth-telling and healing, hosted by Deputy Mayor, Cr Jordan Lockett.

Mayor Cr Karen Foster said the event will include a welcome to country and smoking ceremony from Gunditjmara/Kirrae Whurrong man Brett Clarke, and live music from proud Gunditjmara man and accomplished musician Jayden Lillyst and a free bush BBQ from Worn Gundidj.

“This event will create an opportunity to acknowledge and reflect upon the Aboriginal community’s continuing connection to country, and our shared commitment to ongoing healing and reconciliation,” said Cr Foster.

“We will hear from proud Gunditjmara woman Ros Britton who will talk about the significance of renaming Thanampool Thookay Creek near Caramut, to honour the First Nation people murdered at the site in 1842,” she said.

“We acknowledge that January 26 is a day of mourning for many of our local Aboriginal community members, and invite everyone in the community to join us in recognising the ongoing survival and resilience of first nations people in a day of reflection, truth-telling and healing.“

“This is the second year Council has collaborated with Indigenous community members on an event on 25 January, and builds on the 2023 Ngootyoong Laka, Ngootyoong Yana event attended by over 300 people.”

Kirrae Whurrong Gunditjmara man and Port Fairy resident Ashley Couzens said that celebrating this country we all live in is not the issue.

“The issue is celebrating it on a day that marked the beginning of destruction of a culture that continues to have ongoing impacts through intergenerational trauma across generations. Our identity as a nation mustn’t exclude our past. We cannot continue to grieve alone,” said Mr Couzens.

“I’d like to thank Ashley Couzens and Gunditjmara person Shane Bell for their ongoing leadership and guidance, Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, Worn Gundidj, and Council staff for helping develop and arrange this event,” said Cr Foster.

26 January 2025
From 10:30am on Australia Day, Sunday 26 January 2025 at Fiddlers Green in Port Fairy we will hold a citizenship ceremony for seven new citizens, and presentation of the annual Moyne Community Awards for citizen of the year, young citizen of the year, and community event of the year.

“The Port Fairy Lions Club will provide a free sausage sizzle from 9:00am, and will also present their annual James O’Neill Award that recognises those quietly doing good in the community,” said Cr Foster.

These events have been made possible with a grant from the National Australia Day Council.