Date 22 May 2025 Category Media release Topic Aboriginal engagement The City of Fremantle is proud to be involved in Reconciliation WA’s flagship event during this year’s National Reconciliation Week. The City of Fremantle is proud to be involved in Reconciliation WA’s flagship event during this year’s National Reconciliation Week. On Tuesday 27 May, the Fremantle Passenger Terminal will host 1,000 guests for a breakfast which will be broadcast live on NITV and streamed on SBS On Demand. It’s the first time in recent years that the event has been held outside the Perth CBD. Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said Fremantle is proud to take a leading role in Western Australia’s reconciliation journey, by walking together. “Bathers Beach | Manjaree, in Fremantle, was a place of meeting and trading for Whadjuk Noongar people for tens of thousands of years. It’s also where the early European settlers arrived almost 200 years ago. So, with those significant connections to our collective social and cultural history, it is not surprising that Fremantle is at the heart of a groundswell of support for reconciliation in this state,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said. This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, “Bridging Now to Next,” emphasises learning from our past to build a united and fairer future. The Breakfast’s keynote conversation features Patrick Dodson, a Yawuru elder from Broome and widely known as the Father of Reconciliation, along with next-generation leader Tremane Baxter-Edwards from Wyndham. A City of Fremantle panel, comprising Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge, Turid Calgaret and Geoffrey Addison will be discussing Fremantle’s reconciliation journey over the past two decades and the initiatives that local governments can take to advance reconciliation in Western Australia. While the event is sold-out, the community is being encouraged to host their own Watch Parties, at school, at work or at home, by tuning into NITV at 9:00am AWST. Having this prestigious event in Fremantle, underscores the City’s deep commitment to acknowledging the past, celebrating Indigenous cultures, and building a reconciled future. The City’s dedication to reconciliation is embedded in its operations and future vision, as represented in its Walyalup Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (WRAP) 2024-2027 – the highest level attainable for a local government. This comprehensive plan outlines tangible actions across relationships, respect, opportunities, and governance, including a strong focus on truth-telling, demonstrating Fremantle’s proactive approach to this critical national journey. Walyalup RAP working group chair Brendan Moore said he’s pleased to be acknowledged by Reconciliation WA in this way, for the work that’s been done in Walyalup | Fremantle. “We are honoured to be hosting this year’s National Reconciliation Week. As our Elders remind us, we are ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’. So much work has been done by many people before us for which we are truly grateful. We are equally grateful for the support that we receive from the Fremantle community who encourage us to go even further on this reconciliation journey,” Mr Moore said. Fremantle’s journey to becoming a leader in local government reconciliation has been demonstrated though initiatives such as the establishment of the Walyalup Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Wardarnji festival and a Truth Telling program of backyard conversations and First Nations film screenings. National Reconciliation Week (27 May 27 – 3 June 2025) is a time for all Australians to learn about the country’s shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how everyone can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
