HUNDREDS from across the shire gathered in Kerang in a record-breaking show of respect for First Nations peoples and cultures to mark National Reconciliation Week 2025.
Over 350 people attended the Aboriginal flag raising outside Kerang Council Building, before taking part in the Reconciliation Walk from Victoria Street to Kerang Memorial Hall.
Outside the memorial hall, a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country was led by Barapa Barapa Elder Hack Webster from Mallee District Aboriginal Services.
Students from seven different schools across the shire and beyond from Kerang, Cohuna, Koondrook, Murrabit and Barham were in attendance.
Following the Welcome to Country, crowds piled into memorial hall where Aunty Lil Murray read the story ‘Country’ and Yorta Yorta musician Madi Colville-Walker put on a special acoustic performance.
A selection of artworks created by local Indigenous children and youth groups, Kethawil Pembenguuk and Tyipen Kwe were on proud display.
Barapa Barapa man Glen Galway said it was important Reconciliation Week events are run in the shire.
“This is a pretty important week in our culture,” Mr Galway said.
“We’re trying to connect with the broader community; we like showing off some our stuff so people get to know what our culture’s about.
“We’re trying to keep it alive so we can keep teaching our young ones.”
The event was held by the Gannawarra Shire Council in partnership with Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Northern District Community Health and the Kerang Elders and Leaders Group.
Deputy Mayor Cr Ross Stanton said the day was about bringing people together.
“I think it’s important that as Australians, and I’m that middle-aged white Australian, we recognise that our culture goes back further than the first fleet,” Cr Stanton said.
“We’ve got to try and recognise Australia for what it is; the traditional owners that were here before us.
“We need to recognise both Indigenous culture and white culture and teach both of them to our children; that will go a long way to improving the relationships between white and traditional owners in my view.”
Cr Stanton said local councils have an important responsibility in the journey towards reconciliation.
“Council’s role is to try and promote days like this, and work with our traditional owners – talking to them to make sure that decisions we make and things we do work worth with them, and to not step into the realms we shouldn’t be,” he said.
“We need to bring traditional owners along on the journey for the decisions we make in this community to ensure that they’re not being left behind.
“You have to bring traditional owners forward, because they have been left behind for quite some time.
“Today is a great outcome, and I think we’ve come a long way to improve the relationships between council, community and Indigenous people in our area, but there’s a long way to go.
“We’ve just gotta keep working at it.”
Gannawarra Shire Council chief executive Geoff Rollinson said it was great to see National Reconciliation Week events continue to grow and see increasing levels of community engagement.
“Council and our partners acknowledge the traditional owners of the land within the Gannawarra Shire, the Barapa Barapa, Wamba Wamba and Yorta Yorta peoples, and thank the wider community for joining us in walking and celebrating First Nations history and culture together,” Mr Rollinson said.
