Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan has welcomed the opportunity to join youngsters from the region's CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) community as they learnt about Australia's First Nations culture as part of NAIDOC Week at Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
The City of Greater Geelong joined forces with local community-based organisations, including Cultura, to introduce members of the CALD community to a native garden, where they had the opportunity to learn about traditional medicines and bush tucker.
The native garden experience was accompanied by an opportunity for the young visitors to try their hand at throwing a boomerang, feed native Australian animals, enjoy a digeridoo performance, and take in a presentation on the use of traditional tools.
The activities were accompanied by a morning tea comprised of First Nations treats including myrtle-seed scones with Kakadu plum jam.
Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan
NAIDOC Week provides the ideal time to showcase First Nations culture.NAIDOC Week is a significant week on our community's calendar, providing a time of recognition and celebration of our First Nations people.
There is much to be gained by connecting our newly arrived families to our Indigenous people and practices, along with helping others from different parts of the globe to understand and appreciate the oldest continuing living culture in the world.
The visit was made possible in collaboration with bi-lingual workers from Cultura who were present to assist the Karen, Karenni, Afghan and Ukrainian visitors to understand more about Australia's first people.
Cultura Chief Executive Officer Joy Leggo
Cultura is delighted to work in partnership with the City of Greater Geelong in acknowledging NAIDOC week.It was a wonderful opportunity for members of our communities to learn first-hand about the heritage of our First Nations people.
The benefits of these initiatives cannot be underestimated in promoting the diversity and harmony of the community in which we live.
Councillor Jim Mason
This event is a great way to encourage community connection, along with educating new community members about important support services on offer.These types of events are ideal for assisting new families in the region with a view to strengthening networks, as the families in attendance were provided with information about the services and supports they can access through the City of Greater Geelong.
In addition, the fun and interactive activities were a highlight and provided an ideal way to introduce these families, and the children in particular, to Australia's rich First Nations heritage.
Hopefully this initial connection is just a starting point on a number of levels.
