Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s First Peoples and the traditional owners and custodians of the land and water in which we live, work and play.  January 26 marks the invasion of Australia that resulted in the genocide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and dispossession of their land and culture.

Since at least 1938, January 26 has been a formal day of mourning and protest against the historical and ongoing injustices committed against First Nations people since colonisation.  In contrast, ‘Australia Day’ has only existed as a public holiday since 1994 and many community members are calling for a change of date given its place in our shared history.

The intersection of colonisation, intergenerational trauma, removal from family and community, racism, discrimination, and marginalisation continue to have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of First Nations people.  We are proud and honoured to work alongside First Nations people as they continue to lead improvements in health and wellbeing for their communities.

In 2023, we submitted our draft Reconciliation Action Plan which has just received provisional approval from Reconciliation Australia, and as an organisation we supported and campaigned for a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum on a First Nations Voice to Parliament. We know this was incredibly difficult for First Nations people and so now more then ever, we encourage the community to undertake personal actions that support First Nations communities, and to learn more about the positive steps that are occurring within Victoria, towards Voice, Treaty and Truth Telling.

Below are some useful resources:

For more about our Aboriginal engagement work and our Reconciliation Action Plan, click here.