Australia Day To Dawn at Uluru
Thursday, 6 January 2005
Australia's Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery will travel to Ayers Rock Resort to kick start Australia Day celebrations on Monday 24 January 2005, with a dawn event in the shadow of Uluru.
General and Mrs Jeffery will join members of the local Mutitjulu Aboriginal community at the 'Uluru Dawn' gathering, along with current Australian of the Year, Steve Waugh.
"Uluru Dawn is about recognising our past, reflecting on our present and looking towards our shared future," said Lisa Curry Kenny, Chairman of the National Australia Day Council.
"As so many Australians from such varied backgrounds consider Uluru to be the symbolic heart of our nation, it's appropriate that we gather in such a special place for this occasion."
As part of the event, the stories of many local Central Australians will be told, representing the diverse history of the area - from the ancestral creation stories of the Anangu to the bright hopes of young Centralians.
The event will take place at Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park at approximately 6.00am (Central Australian Time) on Monday 24 January, 2005 and will herald the start of Australia Day celebrations which include:
- Australian of the Year Awards & Celebrate Concert in Canberra on Tuesday, January 25.
- Australia Day celebrations around the country on Wednesday, January 26.
According to Ayers Rock Resort General Manager Alex Penklis, the event has already had an enormous impact on those who live and work in the remote wilderness of Australia's heartland.
"Residents and staff of the Resort, together with our neighbours from Mutitjulu, Imanpa and Kaltukatjara Aboriginal communities, are enormously proud to be part of national celebrations for Australia Day," he said.