Castlemaine paid homage to its Dja Dja Wurrung roots on Australia Day when the region awarded its highest honour to a woman fighting to instill Indigenous culture for the next generation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Teacher and Aboriginal woman Julie McHale, an adopted elder of the Dja Dja Wurrung community, was named Mount Alexander Shire citizen of the year in Victory Park on Tuesday.
"I knew I was Aboriginal long before other people (in the area) did," Ms McHale.
"I was scared of being teased or disrespected. But I was encouraged to be proud of who I was.
"I don't want the Aboriginal people from this district to be ashamed of who they are or scared ... like I was."
Ms McHale was recognised for her passion for bringing Aboriginal perspectives into the school curriculum, and for starting 'The Meeting Place', a cultural school for young Koori children which has now been running for six years.
"I want the curriculum in schools to have an Aboriginal perspective whenever possible, not just a token week," she said.
"It just goes to show what us mob can do when we're empowered and given permission to do the things we want to do our way."
For Dja Dja Wurrung elder, Uncle Rick Nelson, Australia Day is a day of invasion, but he said the Mount Alexander Shire had been very supportive of him and other local Aboriginal people, with flying the flag and making regular reconciliation meetings.
"I don't mind being invited to help out," Mr Nelson said, after he conducted Castlemaine's welcome to country ceremony.
“It is a bit of give and take.”
Taungurung man Alvin Briggs, who played the didgeridoo at the ceremony, said Indigenous sentiments surrounding Australia Day were "hard to explain".
"We see it as our survival day," he said.
He has been playing the instrument ever since he was small.
"It's part of my culture. Once you get the continuous breathing down, you're pretty much right."
Other residents demonstrated their opposition to Australia’s treatment of Indigenous owners with signs proclaiming “Terra Nullius – a convenient lie” and “Australia Day = Invasion Day”.
“Their health concerns, their education, their life expectancy is so much lower than anyone else’s, and we’ve done this to them,” SallyRose Carbines said.
New Zealand national Trevor Scott said he was shocked by what he described as Australia’s “blase” attitude to Aboriginal people, stressing there was more equality with Maori and white settlers in New Zealand, while Marg Whittle protested the basics welfare card.
