Australia Day is a contentious day, and instead of bringing the nation together, it divides sections of the community in their beliefs about how the day should be celebrated, if it should be celebrated at all, or when it should be held.
And yet somehow, the Mount Alexander Shire community has found a way to celebrate its national pride, while also acknowledging the sorrow and impact the day can have for many First Nations People.
The 2025 Australia Day – Survival Day event held at Victory Park in Castlemaine on Sunday was a testament to how thinking outside the box can allow space for everybody to be counted.
In the morning the newest citizens were welcomed with applause from their family, friends and community, and the hard work of the community members who strive to make the community a better place, were recognised during the Australia Day awards, followed by a Survival Day concert put together by Uncle Rick Nelson.
The performance artists used music and dance as a way to share the grief, loss and generational hardship that the First Nations community has endured.
Attended by hundreds of people, young and old, the community came together on the grass, listened to music, and leaned in to difficult thoughts and conversations together.
First Nations singer-songwriter Kutcha Edwards invited the Castlemaine Peace Choir to join him on stage. 
