This year’s National Sorry Day commemoration marks 27 years since the Bring Them Home report was released. Photo: Wagga Wagga City Council.
The Wagga Wagga community has been invited to meet at the Sorry Day Rock at Wollundry Lagoon to commemorate National Sorry Day this Sunday (26 May).
This year’s National Sorry Day marks 27 years since the national inquiry into the Stolen Generations which resulted in the Bringing Them Home report.
Wagga Wagga City Council’s Aboriginal Community Development Officer Michaella Alexander is encouraging the broader community to take the time to learn about and acknowledge this significant national day.
“It’s 27 years since the first National Sorry Day was held, to coincide with the first anniversary of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report being tabled in the Federal Parliament,” Ms Alexander said.
“The day provides a chance for everyone in our community to come together in the healing process for the Stolen Generations who were forcibly removed from their family and communities.
“Sorry Day is an important opportunity to acknowledge the past with sincerity and empathy, paving the path towards healing and reconciliation.”
The ceremony will begin at 10 am near the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre with a Welcome to Country to be delivered by Wiradjuri elder Aunty Isabel Reid, followed by readings from local First Nations community members and a smoking ceremony.
National Sorry Day will be followed by National Reconciliation Week, which extends from Monday 27 May to Monday 3 June.
“National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia,” Ms Alexander said.
“The theme for 2024 is ‘Now More Than Ever’, encouraging all Australians, from individuals, families, and communities, to organisations and government, to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in their everyday lives.
“Council will be hosting a series of barbecues and yarns across Wagga Wagga to seek feedback on our current Reconciliation Action Plan and guide the renewal of the next plan.”
More information about National Sorry Day in Wagga Wagga can be found on the council’s website here.
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