Gather together to commemorate National Sorry Day 2024
Published: 20 May 2024 9:35am
Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations Elders, young people and community members are invited to gather at the Sorry Day Rock to commemorate National Sorry Day on Sunday 26 May 2024.
Wagga Wagga City Council’s Aboriginal Community Development Officer Michaella Alexander is encouraging the broader community to take the time to learn about and acknowledge this significant national day.
“It’s 27 years since the first National Sorry Day was held, to coincide with the first anniversary of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report being tabled in the Federal Parliament,” Ms Alexander said.
“The day provides a chance for everyone in our community to come together in the healing process for the Stolen Generations who were forcibly removed from their family and communities.”
The ceremony will take place on Sunday 26 May commencing at 10am at the Sorry Rock, Wollundry Lagoon, near Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre off Burns Way.
A Welcome to Country will be delivered by Wiradjuri Elder Aunty Isabel Reid, followed by readings from local First Nations community members and a smoking ceremony.
“Sorry Day is an important opportunity to acknowledge the past with sincerity and empathy, paving the path towards healing and reconciliation.”
Light refreshments will follow the conclusion of the official proceeding and no bookings are required.
National Sorry Day is followed by National Reconciliation Week 2024 from Monday 27 May to Monday 3 June 2024.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
The theme for 2024 is ‘Now More Than Ever’, encouraging all Australians, from individuals, families, and communities, to organisations and government, to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in their everyday lives.
“Council will be hosting a series of BBQ’s and yarns across Wagga Wagga to seek feedback on our current Reconciliation Action Plan and guide the renewal of the next plan,” Ms Alexander said.
Bringing Them Home
This year’s National Sorry Day, marks 27 years since the 1997 Bringing Them Home report – the national inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.
The Sorry Day Rock, located in the Wollundry Lagoon precinct, was unveiled in 2018 to commemorate the children sent to the Cootamundra Girls Home and Kinchela Boys Home where they were taught farm labour and domestic work.
Have Your Say on Council’s RAP this Reconciliation Week
National Sorry Day is followed by National Reconciliation Week, 27 May–3 June, which celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2024; Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will and must continue.
Council will be hosting BBQs and yarns in Tolland, Kooringal and Ashmont to consult on the next Reconciliation Action Plan.