Inaugural City of Busselton Reconciliation Walk speaks true to theme Be Brave, Make Change

In a city first, hundreds of locals marched in the name of reconciliation, honouring this year’s Be Brave, Make Change theme at the inaugural City of Busselton Reconciliation Walk. Marking the start of Reconciliation Week celebrations, the short but meaningful walk was led by Wiradyuri elder Aunty Gloria Hill, from the Merenj Boodja Bush Food Garden to the Youth and Community Activities Building on the Busselton Foreshore. A familiar face around town and regular walker, she said she was honoured to lead the way. “I never had a drivers licence so I have to walk everywhere,” she said. “You don’t need a licence to walk and it’s free — and you’re never told to slow down because you are walking too fast. “During my time here, the town has grown and changed a lot faster than others. “Busselton is a really coolly place, and people want to come here to see what it’s all about.” The walk was inspired through the development of the city’s Reconciliation Action Plan, a suggestion of the Aboriginal community who are aiming to make it an annual event. Although it was a short route, residents, schools and locals of all ages took time to engage with one another and revel in appreciation of their town and community over the course of the walk. On finishing, participants were treated to a light lunch provided by the Pindari crew from Dunsborough. Mayor Grant Henley was in full support of the event, saying he hoped it would grow in the future. “It’s not about the speed of the walk,” he said. “It’s about having a yarn and respecting country and working together for reconciliation. That’s what Reconciliation Week is about. “This year the walk is short, but maybe in future years it may be much longer. But it is not about the distance or the speed, it is about the participation.”