JimMasonWebsite Banner2021

Link to Interview with Mitchell Dye
Click for Jim's Interview on Mitchell's Front Page
Link to Jim's Intro Video on Instagram
Click Here for Jim's Introductory Video
Link to Bellarine Ward Forum
Click for Bellarine Ward Forum (Jim starts at 13:50)

Reconciliation in the Park - 11 July 2021

Council acknowledges the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners of this land and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who are part of the Greater Geelong community today.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  • Wadawurrung Traditional Custodians and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today
  • Mayor Stephanie Asher (tentative) and Cr Sarah Mansfield
  • Christine Couzens MP
  • Geelong One Fire Reconciliation Group

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  • Good morning everyone, I’m really excited to be here.
  • With lockdown in Sydney and restrictions around the country, I’m so glad we could be together for Reconciliation in the Park, which was rescheduled from May.
  • And it’s so fitting that it falls on the last day of NAIDOC Week.
  • What I love about this annual event and NAIDOC Week in general is that they’re a chance for everyone to celebrate and learn about the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including our Wadawurrung Traditional Owners.
  • It’s great to see the Indigenous community of Greater Geelong and beyond, coming together and celebrating its culture.
  • As chair of the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio, I’m enjoying discovering more and more about it.
  • I recognise and respect our Traditional Owners’ contributions in the community, their strengths, their stories and their knowledge of the land.
  • The ongoing journey towards reconciliation between our Indigenous people and non-Indigenous members is a priority of council, which is why we adopted our first Reconciliation Action Plan last year.
  • This plan is all about making good on promises, turning words and good intentions into action. The tool is giving the City a framework on achieving equality and building positive relationships, and we have achieved a number of actions over the past year or so.
  • Our first ever First Nations cultural heritage grants program is now open, recognising that Traditional Owners have cared and nurtured for our land for tens of thousands of years.
  • There are plenty of projects that fit into this category, such as developing a Cultural Heritage Management Plan for an Aboriginal Heritage Place or installing fencing to protect a site.
  • Head to the Geelong Australia website for information.
  • Obviously these are great initiatives, but as we all know – more needs to be done.
  • Reconciliation is about understanding, learning about and from history and culture, and healing. It requires a humble approach by non-Indigenous people. We need to truly listen to what is being said.
  • Thank you to everyone who is involved in driving reconciliation in the community and to our Wadawurrung Traditional Owners who are generous in their time teaching and leading.
  • Djillong, pronounced Geelong since Europeans came to the area, means ‘a tongue of land’.
  • I encourage non-Indigenous people in Greater Geelong to learn the full history of Djillong, as a step forward towards truth, healing and reconciliation. Let’s listen and learn.
Various photos of Jim Mason
I acknowledge that the Land I work on, live on and play on is the Traditional Lands of the Wadawurrung People. I pay my respects and homage to Wadawurrung Elders, both past and present, to all Wadawurrung people and to all Australia's First Nation's people.