By Tyler Wright
Over 30 people gathered at Grants Picnic Ground in Kallista on Thursday 22 September; a public holiday declared by the Australian Government as a national Day of Mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II, to remember First Nations people who have died and acknowledge Australia’s history of colonisation.
A bonfire burning gum trees and wood sat in the centre of the circle, while members shared songs, poems and acknowledged the traditional lands from where they were raised; including Kaurna land in South Australia.
Uncle Archie Roach, Aunty Marg Gardiner, Aunty Lee Wanganeen aka “Mama Wang” and Uncle Jack Charles are some of the figures the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria also mourned.
Hills Walking Together founder Shakti McLaren organised the ceremony, and said it made sense to spend time mourning “what we’ve done and where we’re at” in the country’s treatment of Indigenous peoples.
“It’s a way for me of acknowledging my deep sadness; when Uncle Archie [Roach] died I was in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), I couldn’t believe the amount of grief; how this man that I guess I had known since I was youngish, I’d been to many concerts, I knew his story.”
“[His death just shocked me,” Ms McLaren said.
“When [Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrung and Ngurai-Illam Wurrung woman] Stacie [Piper] said she was going to have a ceremonial fire…I thought ‘right. we’ll connect in somehow to that ceremonial fire that she’s doing.’
I thought, ‘it’s gonna be a busy day up here let’s let’s mark this territory has changed, as [Grant’s Picnic Ground co-owner] Belinda wants it to be a place of change, and healing from that dreadful time of bird feeding.”
“It does is really brings together like minded people and I’m hoping that awareness of the people that have come to the ground expecting the bird feeding and seeing something different that seemed important; and that alternative story to this day.”
This comes after the Victorian Government’s promise to rename a newly built Maroondah Hospital, ‘Queen Elizabeth II,’ after the late monarch, receiving backlash from co-chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly Marcus Stewart and others.
‘If someone can change the name of that hospital or the hospital to that monarch’s name, they don’t understand treaty,” Ms McLaren said.
“This continues…when are we going to change?”
Attendees were able to donate to Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place during the ceremony on Thursday 22 September.
