National Anthem gaffe at Bass Coast citizens day

THE induction of 33 new Australian citizens, on Australia Day last Thursday, January 26, at the Wonthaggi Workman’s Club, wasn’t all it might have been, according to those who attended the event.

And a letter has reportedly been submitted to the Bass Coast Shire Council, to be considered at the next meeting of council, on Wednesday, February 15, asking why the National Anthem wasn’t played as part of the official ceremony.

It wasn’t until after the Mayor Cr Michael Whelan had started to wrap up the event, by inviting the new citizens to join together for a photo and afternoon tea that the Deputy Mayor, Cr Rochelle Halstead, intervened and invited everyone to sing Advance Australia Fair with her, that it was included.

“If you don’t know the words that’s fine, I’ll sing it for you. So, if you want to join in, join in,” said Cr Halstead.

It has been claimed in the letter to council that an official of the council, who has allegedly been named in the letter, insisted that shire staff not play the anthem during the ceremony.

An investigation is allegedly raging within the shire about who made that claim and who might have been involved.

Cr Whelan was also heckled during his preamble to the event which included an acknowledgement and an apology of sorts to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“The first thing on my list is to acknowledge our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but I am nothing if not one who regards principle very highly, so I want to acknowledge that today, being Australia Day, the 26th of January is also a sad day for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Cr Whelan said.

“The 26th of January is actually the day in 1788 when the English fleet sailed into Botany Bay and took over the land as a colony. And that matters that we acknowledge that and so it's a day where our Aboriginal friends and colleagues are sad.”

It was at this point that someone, dressed in Australia Day themed attire, interjected taking issue with the appropriateness of Cr Whelan’s remarks.

“You do not speak for me or a lot of other…” he said.

He again interjected later as Cr Whelan continued his remarks about the upcoming ‘Voice’ referendum and the fact that Australia had been declared “Terra nullius”

“It is,” said the interjector.

By all accounts the exchange and the absence of the National Anthem, within the program, cast something of a cloud over the event, supposed to be a celebration of citizenship in Australia.

The incident follows a decision by the Bass Coast Shire Council recently to strip the Australia Day event of its Citizen of the Year awards, now set to be held as part of National Volunteers Week, May 15-21.

The local shire has been less than enthusiastic about celebrating Australia Day on January 26 but has stopped short of calling for the date to be changed.