Sutherland Shire Citizen’s Heritage Festival 2025

SSR volunteers attended two events for the Heritage Festival on:

Tuesday 29th April at the ‘Meeting of Two Cultures’ Kamay, 10.30-2pm, &

Saturday 3rd May at ‘Metropolitan Memorial Park’, Woronora, 10-3pm

On both days, SSR provided a ‘coloured threads’ activity as well as sharing information through handouts, brochures and by talking with a representative from SSR to inform people about the earliest history of Australia and the wonders & knowledge of our first Nations people.

We deem both events a success as we had many opportunities for conversations and information sharing with interested locals and others visiting the community.

The aim of SSR’s involvement in this activity was to use this opportunity to increase knowledge on and respect for our First Nations people. Also to help understand that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is a part of our heritage, as Australians.

At the ‘Meeting of Two Cultures’ at Kamay, Botany Bay, we were swamped with school children,

grandparents and interested others. SSR volunteers engaged with them by either sitting down with them whilst plaiting or weaving or chatting and sharing information and flyers etc at the information table. We used almost all the reserves of ‘coloured threads’ on that day, having just enough for the last few who arrived near the end of the event. We used all our SSR brochures on that day as well.

At the Metropolitan Memorial Gardens, Woronora, we had less people attending, but those who did attend were interested in finding out what SSR does in the community, and we had some very respectful conversations about First Nations heritage. Most people took away the coloured threads to make at home with family/ grandchildren at this event.

From both events, we had people take membership forms and show interest in joining our events and possibly supporting SSR in some way in the future.