National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June), is for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements. It's a time to explore how we can all contribute to achieving reconciliation.
National Reconciliation Week
Our vision for reconciliation is a unified, respectful and thriving community that embraces Australia's First Peoples for their experiences of the past, their resilience in the present and their aspirations for the future.
Each year we explore themes of reconciliation through a week of insightful free events.
National Reconciliation Week opening night
Wednesday 28 May, 6.30pm
Celebrate the beginning of National Reconciliation Week with an evening of culture, connection, and community. Experience a Smoking Ceremony, a Welcome to Country and more to be announced soon.
Maralinga Tjarutja
Movie screening
Thursday 29 May, 11am, 2pm and 7pm
Glen Eira Town Hall — Theatrette, 420 Glen Eira Road, Caulfield
When the dust settles, culture remains...
The Maralinga people have lived on their lands for over sixty thousand years. This deep relationship with their country was challenged by the arrival of a colonising force that led to the institutionalisation of the Maralinga people in the Ooldea Mission in the 1920s.
This attempt to dispossess was intensified as Maralinga land was used for the British Nuclear Test Program between 1953 and 1963.
The Maralinga people never relinquished their connection to and responsibility for their country. They fought for the clean-up of the radioactive and other contamination, for compensation and for the handback in 2009 of the Maralinga Village and Test Sites.
What has been achieved is a rebuilding of traditional communities into vibrant, creative cultural communities that will ensure Maralinga custodianship of their lands for the next sixty thousand years.
Runtime: 52min.
Rated M. Includes coarse language.
Free event, bookings required.
Native Flora and Fauna tours
With Cassie Leatham Fisher-Patterson
Saturday 31 May, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm
Mallanbool Reserve, Leila Rd, Murrumbeena
Join Taungurung/Wurundjeri woman Cassie Leatham Fisher-Patterson—Kulin Nation artist and renowned bushtukka woman—for a guided tour through the beautiful Mallanbool Reserve. Cassie shares her extensive knowledge of the traditional and medicinal uses of native flora and teaches participants how to identify edible native plants.
A passionate cultural educator, Cassie works across a range of mediums to share traditional techniques and the ways of old with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, making this a rich and engaging experience for all.
Tour length: 40min.
Free event, bookings required.
Reconciliation week story time
Sunday 1 June, 2pm
Bentleigh Library and Youth Hub
Join Boonwurrng and Mutti Mutti/Yorta Yorta woman, Eva Jo Edwards, for a special Aboriginal Storytime, sharing stories from The Dreaming and offering a deeper understanding of Aborignal culture and history through storytelling. Don’t miss this truly special event!
Suitable for ages 4 and up.
Free event, bookings not required.
Confined 16
Presented by The Torch
23 May–22 June
Glen Eira City Council Gallery, corner Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads, Caulfield
Confined 16 provides a dedicated space for First Nations people who have experienced incarceration in Victoria to share their stories, culture and lived experiences through the artworks they produce.
This beautiful exhibition serves as a poignant reflection on the disproportionate representation of First Nations Australians in our criminal justice system, underscoring the urgent need for change.
The Torch’s annual Confined exhibition is the key public event within The Torch’s Indigenous Arts in Prisons and Community program, which is committed to reducing reoffending rates by fostering cultural connection through the visual arts. The program aims to improve the cultural, social, emotional and financial wellbeing of participants, empowering them to find new pathways beyond the criminal justice system. All proceeds from the sale of art go directly to the artist.
Floor talk
With The Torch Artistic Director Kent Morris and an artist from The Torch
Thursday 29 May
Glen Eira City Council Gallery, corner Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads, Caulfield
Learn more about The Torch and the themes explored in the exhibition with The Torch Artistic Director, Kent Morris, and an artist from the exhibition.
Free event, bookings required.
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