Greater Dandenong Council has backed down from an invite-only Australia Day Awards ceremony, after community uproar in the past week.
The ceremony at Springvale City Hall on 26 January had been described in a December council newsletter as a “closed” event following a citizenship ceremony.
Only award-winners and families were to be invited.
The approach appeared to contradict a 2023 council report which recommended showcasing the award winners to a “larger audience”.
Resident Gaye Guest was among several on social media who criticised “downgrading” the annual awards – traditionally open to all-comers in Dandenong Park up until 2023.
“Neglecting our Australian culture is not only damaging but demoralising,” she told Star Journal.
“No Australia Day breakfast and to be locked out of the awards makes a mockery of their importance as well.”
In a reversal days before the event, the council announced the general public could register to attend.
Chief executive Jacqui Weatherill said on 23 January that “we are opening this event to the community” due to “fantastic interest” in attending.
Attendance was limited, with spectators required to register beforehand on the council’s website.
Registrations closed on Friday 24 January.
Last year’s invite-only Australia Day awards and citizenship ceremony last year was a “large success”, Weatherill said.
There were 330 attendees, a similar number to the Dandenong Park event held in 2023, she said.
“We are looking forward to another fantastic celebration for our Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony and encourage visitors to use public transport to travel to and from Springvale as Lunar New Year Festival celebrations are also underway.”
Combining the awards with a citizenship ceremony was recommended in a council report and endorsed by the council at a meeting on 14 August 2023.
The report didn’t mention closing the ceremony to the public, but instead expected the combined event would lead to award winners being “celebrated with a larger audience”.
“Award winners are celebrated with a larger audience allowing for greater exposure of the wonderful work they do and increasing their sense of value to the community,” it stated.
The combined event would also be more cost effective and efficient, and allow new citizens to witness the achievements of existing community members, the report argued.
Weatherill said that traditionally the citizenship ceremonies were not public, and when combined with the awards they were kept that way.
“The interest from the community has inspired us to reconsider this and open Sunday’s event on a registration basis.”
At the 2023 meeting, councillors rejected a proposed renaming of the awards from ‘Australia Day Awards’ to ‘Greater Dandenong Community Awards’.
The proposed retitling was to “assist in acknowledging Council’s commitment towards reconciliation”.
Some award winners had “shied away” from accepting the awards due to recognising 26 January as a day of mourning for First Nations communities, the report stated.
To register for the Australia Day event, go to greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au/events/greater-dandenong-australia-day-awards-and-citizenship-ceremony-2025
