January 26^th is not a day of celebration for all Australians, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For our community, this day marks the beginning of stolen land and colonial violence. This year, January 26th falls on a Sunday, with a national public holiday scheduled for Monday January 27th to mark so called “Australia Day”. 

At Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, all offices will be closed on Monday January 27th – not to mark “Australia Day”, but to commemorate January 26th as a Day of Mourning – a day of reflection, remembering the resilience of our Ancestors, and mourning those that have passed into the Dreaming. We remember and uphold the legacy of our Ancestors, Elders and Community members who have called this great land our mother for more than 50,000 years. 

This year, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative will not be hosting our own Survival Day or Day of Mourning event on January 26th, however we encourage anyone who is interested in commemorating the day to attend or get involved with other events in our region and beyond. A list of some of these events can be found below. 

We hope that our Community and our allies are able to use this three-day weekend to spend time with their family, connect with country, and learn more about the impacts and ongoing trauma of “celebrating” January 26th. 

In 1938 a large group of Aboriginal people donned black clothing on January 26^th as a sign of mourning and gathered in Sydney to protest the ongoing mistreatment of Aboriginal people – this Day of Mourning was one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world. 
 
Below are several opportunities to continue to learn and understand the impact of January 26 on our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people:

• Pilk Purriyn Truth Telling event – Torquay, from 5:30am

Pilk Purriyn is a truth-telling event presented by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation in partnership with Surf Coast Shire Council. Register your attendance here: www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/Pilk-Purriyn 

• Be Tru 2 Uluru – Community Rally, 12pm Little Malop Street Mall

On Sunday 26 January 2025 from 12pm – 1.30pm in Lt Malop Street, Geelong, Be Tru 2 Uluru will be hosting a Community Rally. There will be speakers in Little Malop Street Mall, followed by a march around CBD Geelong which will end back at Little Malop Street Mall location – more info on Facebook www.facebook.com/betru2uluru

• Clothing the Gap – 8 Things You Need to Know about Jan 26

To learn more about the history of January 26^th, visit: https://www.clothingthegaps.com.au/blogs/blogs/8things-you-need-to-know-about-january-26
  

• Edmund Rice Centre – 6 Ways to Stand in Solidarity with Indigenous Australians this Survival Day

To learn more about how you can stand in solidarity with Indigenous Australians this Survival Day, visit: https://www.erc.org.au/survival_day
  

• ABC – Mission Voices

Provides unique culture and history of Victorian Aboriginal (Koorie) people, here our Elders tell of their lives on missions and reserves, visit: https://web.archive.org/web/20040831012400/http://www.abc.net.au/missionvoices/
  

• Public Record Office Victoria – Footprints the Journey of Lucy and Percy Pepper

Footprints reveals the story of Lucy and Percy Pepper who were affected by laws and government policies that defined who was ‘Aboriginal’ and who was not in early twentieth century Victoria, visit: https://prov.vic.gov.au/footprints-publication
  

• UN Youth Australia – Invasion Day, Survival Day, Day of Mourning

https://unyouth.org.au/event/global-issues-resources/january-26th

IMAGE: Clothing the Gaps digital download poster. Get your free digital download of this poster on the Clothing the Gaps website here: https://www.clothingthegaps.com.au/collections/not-a-date-to-celebrate/products/not-a-date-to-celebrate-poster-digital-download