An invitation to our 26 January 2023 community Dawn Reflection

Thursday 19 January 2023

For the first time, Waverley Council will be holding a 26 January Dawn Reflection at 5.30am at Bondi Beach to acknowledge the resilience and survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their continuous connection to Country and culture by reflecting and acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of our land.

The Dawn Reflection is an opportunity for the community to join us as the sun rises for a morning of quiet reflection to commemorate our First Nations community with a Welcome from a Traditional Custodian and a smoking ceremony.

The Dawn Reflection will be held on the sand at the middle of the beach. Please meet at the steps opposite Bondi Pavilion. All are invited to attend, and the event will proceed in wet weather.

Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, said the Dawn Reflection was an action of Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory (RAP) Committee, established in 2021 to provide cultural advice, guidance, feedback and support around the implementation and monitoring of actions, projects and commitments identified in Council’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan.

“Council understands that January 26 has multiple meanings and it can be a difficult day for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Mayor Masselos said.

“It can be considered a day of mourning, but also a day to acknowledge the ongoing resilience and survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and cultures. It is not only a time to reflect, but also an opportunity to learn from our First Nations people which will help Council mark 26 January in a more complete way.

“Later in the day, we will also be holding three citizenship ceremonies at our newly restored Bondi Pavilion to welcome our newest residents to Waverley.”

In 2000, Waverley Council was one of the first Councils in NSW to adopt a Statement of Commitment to Reconciliation as follows:

  • Waverley Council acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are the first people of this land and were dispossessed by the European occupation more than two centuries ago. The arrival of Europeans brought massive change to the land and to First Australians
  • Waverley Council acknowledges and grieves for the loss by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of their lands, their children, their health and their lives. However, we also celebrate their survival and the survival of their cultures
  • We support the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to determine their own future and recognise their right to live according to their own values and customs
  • We commit ourselves to respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s sacred sites and special places
  • Council recognises the valuable contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and looks forward to a future of mutual respect and harmony
  • Council supports the entire community in working together for Reconciliation.

In October last year, Council also resolved to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the Voice to Parliament, and the Makarrata. Read our news item here.

The Dawn Reflection will be held on the sand at the middle of the beach. Please meet at the steps opposite Bondi Pavilion. All are invited to attend, and the event will proceed in wet weather.

-ENDS-

Media interested in covering the event are kindly asked to register their attendance via media@waverley.nsw.gov.au or 0416 075 532.