Council Votes to Restore Australia Day Celebrations

Children wave Australian flags for the arrival of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla to attend a Sunday morning service at St Thomas' Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia on Oct. 20, 2024. Dean Lewins/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The Geelong City Council in Victoria has successfully passed a motion to trigger the return of Australia Day festivities in the region.

The move comes after the council voted in 2023 to ban Australia Day celebrations amid concerns the date was offensive to Indigenous community members.

On Dec. 10, Geelong City Council held its last meeting for the year, where a motion was put forward by Hamlyn Heights Ward Councillor Eddy Kontelj, to take the first step towards reverting to tradition.

The motion acknowledges that setting a date for celebrating Australia Day is the responsibility of the federal government, not councils—effectively removing the power for the council to ban the date again in future.

The motion also allows for citizenship ceremonies to recommence, and for lobbying efforts on changing the date to cease.

Previously, the council had supported events like a free family fun day, ethnic Australia Day celebrations, and a sailing festival.

Council CEO Ali Wastie has also been instructed to prepare a report before the next council meeting on Jan. 28, that would set out the steps for supporting Australia Day again.

However, with the next Australia Day on Jan. 26, 2025, the council will miss the celebration, and can only reset the council for 2026.

The council meeting was attended by a large crowd, including those who had gathered on the steps outside the city hall.

Ultimately, the motion passed successfully.

Councillors Kontelj, Andrew Katos, Trent Sullivan, Rowan Story, Chris Burson, and Ron Nelson all voted for the motion, along with Mayor Stretch Kontelj.

The motion was opposed by Councillors Emma Sinclair, Anthony Aitken, Elise Wilkinson and Melissa Cadwell.

A Day of Celebration: Mayor

Geelong Council Mayor Stretch Kontelj told The Epoch Times he believed councils should follow the national date for celebrating Australia Day.

“It is important to note that Australia Day is a national day proclaimed by the federal government, and the decision on which date to observe it is not one for local councils to make,” he said.

“Australia Day is a day when we should be reflecting on and celebrating everything that is great and good about this country.”

Kontelj said further details on the report would be made available following the council’s January meeting.

“We are unable to pre-empt the findings of the report until the agenda for the January meeting is published,” Kontelj said.

Greens Deputy Disappointed

Deputy Leader of the state Victorian Greens and former Geelong Councillor Sarah Mansfield was present at the meeting, having encouraged locals who opposed the motion to gather.

Mansfield issued a statement on social media saying she found Kontelj’s motion “incredibly disappointing.”

The Victorian Legislative Council member said that during her time with Geelong Council, she had been instrumental in the consultation process that led to a unanimous decision in 2023 to stop celebrating Jan. 26.

“It is bewildering to see this notice of motion being put forward,” Mansfield said.

“This is a cynical move that shows an incredible lack of sensitivity to Geelong’s First Nations people, and a lack of respect for the broader community,” she said.

The next steps of the motion will be known following the council’s next meeting in 2025.