By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
ON THE Doveton stage a group of children held two-sided flags – one with Australian colours and the other with Indian colours.
The moment was a poignant recognition that Australia Day falls on the same date as India’s Republic Day – 26 January.
The 2016 Doveton Australia Day celebrations, held at Recreation Reserve, were hosted by the Melbourne Malayalee Federation, an Indian community group which used the event as an opportunity to celebrate both cultures.
Melbourne Malayalee Federation president Dr Shaji Varghese said he and the other members loved being a part of Australia.
“We are proud to be Australian and to be part of the group and we wanted to be part of the Australia Day celebrations,” he said.
“It’s a new country, it’s multiculturalm, so people from all over the world are here and I want to be a part of that.”
Many people of varying nationalities attended the Doveton event, including Australia Day Ambassador and former Victorian Premier John Cain, Casey councillor Damien Rosario and outgoing Casey Citizen of the Year Brooke McGowan-Grills.
The guests were treated to a range of entertaining acts, including Indian dancing, children singing, and tunes from the Cranbourne Lions Concert Band.
It was a display of multiculturalism and councillor Damien Rosario, who represents the River Gum Ward, made this clear in his speech.
“Doveton is a wonderful example of modern day Australia,” he said.
“Our diverse and multicultural community reflects our nation’s commitment to welcome all people and today we come together to celebrate the spirit of our nation.
“It’s a great opportunity as well to think about what it is to be Australian, because we, and this might be a biased opinion, we have the best country in the world.
“We’re so diverse and we’re multicultural, we have fantastic groups like this one here who are running the show.
“And for us to all come together and work together, Australia to me is about helping each other out, about welcoming others, and that’s what we do great in Australia.”
Former Victorian Premier John Cain was this year the Australia Day Ambassador for Eumemmering and echoed Cr Rosario’s sentiments.
“It’s good to see that an event of this kind in the City of Casey is today largely being handled, promoted, managed by the Indian community and that reflects the nature of our multicultural society and it’s good to see,” he said.
Mr Cain also used his appearance at the Doveton barbecue to remind the crowd of Australia’s “shortcomings” in helping and respecting the indigenous community, and called for change.
“We can look back with pride at what we’ve been able to achieve … we can also look back on this day, and I think we should, and acknowledge some shortcomings,” Mr Cain said.
“To me, arguably the most obvious shortcoming is despite our capacity to receive and acknowledge and look after a wide range of migrants, settlers from all over the world, we have failed badly in looking after the original, Aboriginal people.
“They’re state of life reflects our failures. The life expectancy, the number of Aboriginal people in our jails, we let them down badly and more needs to be done as a continuing affection as we journey through these years of 2000.
“The other thing we can look back and say we haven’t done as well as we might is caring for and receiving refugees. Because that’s the reason this society began and we need to do better to recognise our shortcomings over the last 10 or 15 years in not receiving as warmly as we should those who are forced by circumstances beyond their control to come to this country.
“They’re two shortcomings but despite that you should see today as one of reflection and celebration.
“A reflection that we as a present citizen of Australia can be proud of what we have achieved.”
