Australia Day – Survival Day

Mount Alexander Shire Council is proud that we host a joint Australia Day–Survival Day event on 26 January each year, where we welcome new Australian citizens and announce winners of the Mount Alexander Shire Australia Day Awards.

Australia Day–Survival Day event 2025

Council extends a big thank you to residents for taking part in our Australia Day - Survival Day 2025 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 at the Survival Day concert:

• 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. 

Congratulations to our 2025 Australia Day Award winners

Citizen of the Year – Rachel Stewart
Young Citizen of the Year – Thea Sydes
Senior Citizen of the Year – Trish Bowles
Event of the Year – Castlemaine Idyll 2024

Find out more about the winners in the media release.

Watch Australia Day – Survival Day 2025

The event was livestreamed to YouTube on the day. Watch the recording on our YouTube channel.

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You can watch past Australia Day - Survival Day events on Council's YouTube channel.