Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country Guide

The City of Ballarat’s vision is to acknowledge through actions, as well as words, the histories and continuing contributions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – in particular the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung People.

The City of Ballarat will support, foster and encourage the sharing of walking together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as well as non-Indigenous community members.

This Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country Guide has been developed by the City of Ballarat to support the Ballarat community in respectfully acknowledging country and Indigenous communities in a meaningful way. The purpose of the Guide is to assist and ensure the correct cultural protocols are followed for the two ceremonies, Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country.

This guide will assist in the planning of an event (whether it be a Council meeting, a forum, a briefing session or a major workshop or conference) where members of the public, representatives of governments and the media are present.