By Tanya Steele
On Sunday 2 March, Belgrave and the surrounding community gathered in large numbers at Borthwick Park for Belgrave Survival Day 2025.
Showcasing an epic range of First Nations musicians, artists and businesses, the cool weather change did not deter crowds.
Belgrave Survival Day provides the community with an opportunity to celebrate by recognising and celebrating the survival of Indigenous culture locally and nationally.
Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO, Senior Wurundjeri elder of the Kulin alliance in Victoria hosted a Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremony to kick off the day.
“I’m glad to be here,” she said.
“This event has been sustaining itself for over 20 years.”
“It was held on January 26 and there’s a lot of controversy about January 26, but more importantly, everyone at that stage believed that we should have a day where we can celebrate First Nations people, their arts, their music, their culture, their heritage, and have our friends along.”
“For me, Belgrave survival day is exactly what it said is about survival. It’s about being happy, and it’s about enjoying each other and our cultures. And with that, I’d like to begin by saying I’m very proud to be here on my father’s country, grandfather’s country, and we have many other Wurundjeri with us today.”
After Welcome to Country crowds were invited to participate in a traditional smoking ceremony and then enjoy dancing by the Djirri Djirri Dancers – who are the only Wurundjeri female dance group and are Traditional Custodians of Naarm and surrounds.
The dancers took the crowd through several traditional dances and community members were pulled from the crowd to to come up and join in the fun, despite a bit of rain.
Musicians took over from there with Gumbaynggirr and Barkindji singer/songwriter Manduway, Melbourne based First Nations artist Canisha and Jalgany – who is fronted by Nola Lauch, a Kirrae-wurrung/Bundjalung woman who lives on the Mornington Peninsula taking the stage.
The free and all ages community event was coordinated by the Belgrave Survival Day Committee and was presented in partnership with Burrinja Cultural Centre, Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place and Yarra Ranges Council.
