Celebrating Country and Culture

Published on 15 April 2026

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Connecting to Country and Culture is an 8-week immersive program of events, exhibitions and family‑friendly activities grounded in cultural learning and truth‑telling.

Commencing with a special National Reconciliation Week celebratory event community are invited to take part in a traditional Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony, hear stories shared by First Nations Elders, and take part in cultural activities that include a weaving workshop with Aunty Merilyn Duff.

A program of activities will continue through to NAIDOC Week, providing an opportunity for the community to further participate, reflect and build deeper understanding of First Nations cultures.

Initiatives align with National Reconciliation Week’s theme ‘All In’ and NAIDOC Week’s '50 Years of Deadly’, celebrating the strength, leadership and resilience of First Nations peoples. 

Program of events

18 June - First Nations Astronomy and Stargazing

Thursday 18 June 2026, 6.30pm-9.30pm 
Waverley Valley Scout Hall, Valley Reserve, 1B Wills Ave, Mount Waverley 
SOLD OUT

Join us for a special stargazing event and connect with the cosmos through the beauty of night. 

Kamilaroi Astrophysicist Krystal De Napoli and Cultural Astronomer Associate Professor Duane Hamacher will guide audiences on a journey through space and time, exploring the significance of the moon, stars and Sky Country in First Nations knowledge systems. 

The evening will begin with a welcome and light refreshments, followed by a Sky Country presentation and telescope viewing under the night sky. 

This event marks the first major public program of The Burunh Program for Cultural and Indigenous Astronomy and welcomes Krystal De Napoli as a new academic staff member in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne. 

Krystal De Napoli is an astrophysicist, co-author of the award-winning book Astronomy: Sky Country, and Manager of the WEHI Deadly Science Pathways Program. 

Associate Professor Duane Hamacher is Director of The Burunh Program and a leading voice in cultural astronomy. He is also the author of the best-selling book The First Astronomers, co-authored with six Elders and Sky Country knowledge holders. 


Contact us if the price is prohibitive.

 

24 June - First Nations Art Workshop

Wednesday 24 June, 1pm  
Clayton Library, Clayton Community Centre, Cooke Street, Clayton 
THIS EVENT IS BOOKED OUT

Join us for a meaningful and creative art workshop to explore the depth and beauty of Australian Indigenous culture with Uncle Eric Brown.

Connecting with culture helps us strengthen relationships, broadens understanding, and builds a community grounded in respect.

Through shared stories, traditions and creativity, we gain fresh perspectives and celebrate the richness of the world’s oldest living cultures. This workshop offers a chance to experience that connection in a hands-on and heartfelt way. 

Uncle Eric will guide you in this hands-on art workshop while yarning on the richness of First Nations' culture.

At the end of the session, you will have a unique artwork that you have created to take home as a reminder of your experience. 

 

2 July - Maloga Art Youth Session

Thursday 2 July  
Monash Youth Services, 1/2 Euneva Avene, Glen Waverley
Free ticketed sessions below.

Participants create their own unique painting on canvas using knowledge shared about Aboriginal symbols and culture as well as share their stories via a gallery walk and mini group discussions. 

 

6 July - History Talk: A Very Secret Trade

Monday 6 July, 10.30am  
In Person/ Zoom  
Wheelers Hill Library, 860 Ferntree Gully, Wheelers Hill 
FREE ticketed event.  

A Very Secret Trade by Professor Cassandra Pybus explores the sensitive and troubling history of the removal and trade of Tasmanian Aboriginal remains.  

In the 19th century, collectors and museum curators in Europe were fascinated by the antipodean colony of Tasmania. They cultivated contacts in the colony who could supply them with exotic specimens, but they were not just interested in animals and plants.  

The belief that the original people of the colony were an utterly unique race and facing possible extinction, triggered the deeply disturbing and highly unethical pursuit and theft of the human remains of Tasmanian Aboriginal people.  

Many eminent colonial figures were involved in this clandestine trade, among them colonial governors and key politicians. 

Join Cassandra for this unmissable presentation as she uncovers one of the darkest and most carefully hidden secrets in Australia's colonial history.

 

6 - 9 July - NAIDOC Week Storytime

6 – 9 July 
FREE event. No booking required. 

NAIDOC Week Storytimes will run at all six library branches as part of the regular storytime program.  

Find NAIDOC Week Storytime sessions online.

 

9 July - Marra Marra: Our Countries Song Opening Event

Thursday 9 July, 6 - 8pm 

Track Gallery, 47 Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley 
FREE Ticketed event. Booking essential.

Join us for this special opening event of Marra Marra: Our Countries Song at Track Gallery.  

This exhibition is a curation of works from the Marra Marra Gallery Marketplace, which also has works on display at Civic Gallery.  
 
The exhibition will be on display at Track Gallery between 25 June - 20 July, 11am – 4pm (Thurs- Sat)

 

11 July - Native Bush Tucker Workshop (Kid's)

Saturday 11 July, 10.30am  
Wheelers Hill Library, 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill. 
 EVENT BOOKED OUT

Join us for an immersive bush tucker tasting experience that celebrates the incredible flavours of the Australian landscape! 

Children will have the chance to sample a diverse selection of bush tucker foods during the event, with information sheets available to enrich the tasting experience by offering insights into the featured ingredients and their traditional uses.

A variety of tasting options, both savoury and sweet, will be provided and will vary according to the seasonal availability of native plants. Children will learn some fun facts linking native bush tucker to birds, animals and habitat and country. 

 

30 July - Na Djinang Circus Workshop Series

Thursday 30 July  
Clayton Theatre, 9/15 Cooke St, Clayton 
Ticketed event. $10pp.
    

Step into the world of Blak Circus with Na Djinang, one of Australia’s most imaginative contemporary circus companies.

Guided by world class artists, this workshop opens a door to movement, culture and connection.

You will tumble, balance and create a team in a space that celebrates curiosity, courage, and the joy of trying something new.

No experience is needed – just a willingness to play, to test your limits and to discover what extraordinary might feel like for your body. Join us for a generous and energising introduction to Blak circus with sessions for all ages! 

 

 

31 July - Na Djinang Circus Workshop Series

Friday 31 July  
Clayton Theatre, 9/15 Cooke St, Clayton 
Ticketed event. $10pp.
    

Step into the world of Blak Circus with Na Djinang, one of Australia’s most imaginative contemporary circus companies.

Guided by world class artists, this workshop opens a door to movement, culture and connection.

You will tumble, balance and create a team in a space that celebrates curiosity, courage, and the joy of trying something new.

No experience is needed – just a willingness to play, to test your limits and to discover what extraordinary might feel like for your body.

Join us for a generous and energising introduction to Blak circus with sessions for all ages! 

Session 1: 4pm – 5.10pmNa Djinang Circus Workshop Series (Ages 7 - 11) 

Session 2: 5.20pm - 6.30pm - Na Djinang Circus Workshop Series (Ages 11 - 14) 

Session 3: 6.40pm - 7.50pm - Na Djinang Circus Workshop Series (Ages 18+) 

1 August - Professional Development with Na Djinang Circus

Saturday 1 August, 11am – 3pm  
Clayton Theatre, Clayton Community Centre, Cooke Street, Clayton. 
Ticketed event. $10pp.   

Na Djinang performers are offering a special opportunity to develop key skills in movement, culture and connection.

This workshop invites performers and makers to explore how circus emerges from the body, how movement carries story, and how culture shapes audience experience.

Led by Na Djinang artists, it offers training with Blak theatre professionals working at the intersection of movement, culture and connection.

You’ll develop movement‑based skills in a responsive, grounded space that centres story, place and lived experience.

The workshop focuses on process over polish and is welcoming of all experience levels—no circus background required, just a willingness to move, listen and engage.

Workshops are welcoming and adaptable and provide the best and safest experience. 

 We encourage participants to discuss any access needs with us in advance so we can understand what support is required within our capacity. 

 

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