Australia Day – Survival Day

Join a free, family-friendly community event to celebrate and acknowledge Australia Day – Survival Day in Mount Alexander Shire.

The day will include:

• Welcome to Country
• Citizenship and awards ceremony
• Two Auslan interpreters
• Survival Day concert
• Free catering by local businesses, including a Castlemaine Rotary barbecue, Konjo Mama, Icecream Republic, Murnong Mammas and Lucha Libre Cantina

The concert features live music programmed by Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Uncle Rick Nelson, who will also MC.

It begins at 11.30am, and will include performances by:

• Uncle Kutcha Edwards and Friends
• Linc Yow Yeh and Nick Larkins
• Tehya Makani and Jay Jarome
• Culture Evolves
• Mambanegra Drumming
• Castlemaine Peace Choir
• Nalderun Women’s Cleansing Ceremony. 

Download the 2025 Survival Day concert poster(PDF, 2MB). 

Council extends a big thank you to residents for taking part in our Australia Day – Survival Day 2024 community event.

The day included a moving Welcome to Country by Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Uncle Rick Nelson, a citizenship and awards ceremony, a Survival Day concert, and catering courtesy of local businesses.

Council would like to say a big thank you to everyone who performed:

• Jason Kerr and Young Jason Kerr
• Trace Balla and Andrew McSweeney
• Kinja
• Gianni Boragine
• Allara & Olenka
• Bart Willoughby and Fadil Suna.
• Nalderun Women’s Cleansing Ceremony
• Castlemaine Highland Pipe Band.

2024 Australia Day Awards

We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Australia Day Awards:

Citizen on the Year – Debbie Hamilton
Young Citizen of the Year – Claire Mitchell
Senior Citizen of the Year – Barb Templar
Community Event of the Year – Taradale Mineral Springs Festival