Arabic version: لجنة الذكرى المئوية الثانية لأستراليا الغربية تركز على الإحياء والإرث
According to ABC News, planning has begun for Western Australia’s 2029 bicentenary, marking 200 years since the foundation of the Swan River Colony. Educator and Noongar leader Colleen Hayward will chair the newly created 2029 committee guiding the state’s approach.
Professor Hayward said the anniversary should be treated as a commemoration rather than simply a celebration. She said people would respond differently to the occasion, while stressing the importance of an inclusive approach in which people across the state can acknowledge the 200 years together.
Community consultation is under way, and a report is due to be presented to the committee in several weeks. Professor Hayward said the findings would help show what people believe could or should form part of a commemorative event, including questions about the state’s social fabric and its future.
She said activities in 2029 were likely to differ from the 1979 sesquicentenary, which included concerts, merchandise and a re-enactment of Captain James Stirling’s arrival on the Swan River foreshore. Professor Hayward said concerts and fireworks could have a place, but should not be the whole story.
Among possible legacy projects, she identified digitising the state’s archives to make family-history records easier to access. She also supported education initiatives about local places, including the meanings of Aboriginal suburb names, and said the commemoration should recognise an Aboriginal foundation as well as the role of every cultural group in building the state.
