Australia Day, 2019
Urunga
Robert Canning had blessed the site at sunrise with a smoking ceremony and welcomed us with humour and hope.
He welcomed us all to country: ‘What we’re going to try to do today is bring everyone together as one. So it’s not just 231 years but 60,231 years.’
The crowd respected a minute’s silence to remember and respect all those Aboriginal people who have lost their lives, culture and identity from colonisation.
Last year I was in Sydney for Australia Day at the Redfern march where the speakers were in a very different mood and adamant that January 26 should NOT be celebrated.
Coffs Harbour
Uncle Mark Flanders gave an impassioned welcome to country with a description of the boundaries of Gumbaynggirr country and invited us all into the smoke to be cleansed.
and at a BBQ lunch later we had two onlookers:
