Released 16/05/2018
Today, a special flowerbed was unveiled at the Transport Canberra and City Services bed on Vernon Circle to acknowledge and celebrate Australia’s first Reconciliation Day holiday and National Reconciliation Week.
The flowerbed features a design with colours from the three Australian flags and the Ngunnawal word ‘Galambany’ which means ‘we, including you’. This is a word that celebrates, embraces and unites us as a community and a nation.
Canberrans can be proud to be part of a community where we can all come together to recognise the culture, contribution and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Reconciliation Day will be held annually on the first Monday on or after the 1967 Referendum anniversary date of 27 May, which is the start of National Reconciliation Week.
This year’s holiday will be on Monday 28 May and will be marked with a community event in Glebe Park, as well as a series of grassroots events and activities.
National Reconciliation Week commemorates two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey – the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision.
The theme for this year’s Reconciliation Day and National Reconciliation Week is ‘Don’t Keep History a Mystery’. Australians are encouraged to use this opportunity to learn more about the impact of past policies and practices, explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture, and in doing so develop a deeper understanding of our national story.
For more information on National Reconciliation Week visit https://www.reconciliation.org.au/national-reconciliation-week/
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Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases