Healing together through truth telling this National Apology Day 2025
Published: 07 Feb 2025 10:34am
Wagga Wagga City Council warmly invites the community to attend the commemoration of the 17th anniversary of the National Apology. The event will feature reflections from local Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations Elders and take place on Thursday, 13 February at 10am.
Commencing outdoors on the grassed area in front of the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, the event will be held on the banks of the Wollundry Lagoon, which is a highly significant cultural place for the Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri community.
Council's Aboriginal Community Development Officer Michaella Alexander said that the event has been developed closely with the community and is an important day for reflection and healing.
“It’s vital to pause and reflect on the day when the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the national 'Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples’,” said Michaella Alexander.
“This moment marked a powerful acknowledgment of the historical mistreatment of the Stolen Generations and demonstrated the profound impact of an apology.
“Honouring the Stolen Generations, remembering past injustices, and coming together to heal are essential steps in the reconciliation journey. We invite everyone to join us and learn more about this important part of our shared history.”
The event will begin with a Welcome to Country by local Elder Aunty Dorothy Whyman, followed by a cleansing smoking ceremony, youth cultural dancers, and reflections from local Elders on the path of healing.
The community will then be invited inside the Civic Theatre for the launch of the Resettlement Podcast, dedicated to sharing local stories of resilience, connection and cultural strength within the Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations community.
This project has been made possible because the Museum of the Riverina was successful in securing a $50,000 Community Heritage grant from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, to research and record local Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nation oral histories.
This two-year project fulfills action 8.9 in Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan, which details Council will undertake programs to record Aboriginal People’s oral histories at the Museum of the Riverina and Wagga Wagga City Library.
These oral histories produced as part of the podcast series include interviews with local Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations families who were part of the resettlement scheme to Wagga Wagga in the early 1970s. Many of these residents went on to contribute toward the establishment of a wide range of services for the local Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations community in the City, including: Wiradjuri/ Wiradyuri Childcare, Riverina Medical and a local branch of the Aboriginal Legal Service.
“This podcast marks an important step in preserving and sharing the stories of First Nations communities in Wagga Wagga,” Council’s Museum Manager Luke Grealy said.
“It’s an enlightening and deeply emotional series, carefully curated with the invaluable contributions of Aunty Dorothy Whyman, Uncle Hewitt Whyman, Luke Wighton and Museum volunteer, Moyra Shields.”
After the launch event everyone is invited to stay for a free barbecue by the Wollundry Lagoon. No bookings are required to attend this event.
Council is committed to advancing reconciliation, and by commemorating National Apology Day as a community we take a collective step toward a future where past injustices are acknowledged, and meaningful progress is achieved.
For more information about National Apology Day 2025 in Wagga Wagga, visit our page below: