National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day has been celebrated with a virtual flag raising at the Town Hall and a series of art and storytime activities.
This year’s theme for Children’s Day is ‘We are the Elders of tomorrow, hear our voice’.
The day is the largest annual national day to celebrate the younger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander generation.
It has been co-ordinated in Ballarat by the Ballarat Better Outcomes Early Years Network with Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BADAC).
To mark the occasion Wendouree Children’s Centre created a tree for the foyer of the centre and each child contributed a leaf. Children at Girrabanya Integrated Children’s Services also created a large rainbow serpent, while the toddlers worked on a mural of Tiddalik the frog.
As part of the celebrations, City of Ballarat Aboriginal Liaison Officer Nikki Foy read I Love Me, by Sally Morgan and Ambelin Kwaymullina, in a virtual Ballarat Libraries Storytime. View it here.
Under current circumstances gatherings are not permitted so it was not possible for the public to view the flag raising.
“National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is always a fun and inspiring occasion and brings our community together,” the Mayor, Cr Ben Taylor, said.
“Even though we cannot celebrate the day as freely as we wish because of the pandemic, I encourage the Ballarat community to acknowledge and celebrate this year’s Children’s Day. We want to make it a happy day for all involved.”
Students at Girrabanya Children’s Centre also sent a video message reciting this year’s them “we’re the elders of tomorrow, here our voice”…
Source: City of Ballarat