Mystery surrounds one of the highlights of the Australia day weekend – the inclusion of two very large Aboriginal flags on either side of the Brunswick River car bridge.
The flags were a hit but no-one seems to know who put them there. They appeared sometime early Saturday, then disappeared again late Monday.
Social media was flooded with photos of the flags from every conceivable angle and everyone had something to say on the subject.
One Facebook commentator said: ‘Met the fellow who put the flags up on the bridge yesterday evening. Said he lived up in Wilson’s Creek. The purpose of the flags was to raise consciousness.’
Another Facebook comment that suggested ‘Coda was the mastermind’ has left most locals none the wiser.
Photographer Michelle Begg said Bruns was packed over the long weekend when she captured the flags. ‘I think they were a great big reminder to everyone who was in and around Brunswick Heads, that it isn’t a time of celebration for all Australians.’
Ros Goodchild who owns Mina Mina Art Gallery, a Brunswick Heads business which promtes the cultural diversity that of Aboriginal art, thought the flags looked great. ‘I thought they were a powerful and poignant statement,’ she said.
Local Bundjalung dubay Delta Kay from the Arakwal-Bumberbin mob, said that the flags put a little sparkle in her day. ‘When I saw the flags I just thought “wow!”. It made me feel proud to live here where non-indigenous people proudly acknowledge and respect the First People’.
Let’s hope they are a regular feature on Australia Day, no matter what day that might be.
Afterall, it is Invasion Day. Change the date.
Never was, never will be!
Always was, always will be.
ALWAYS
Strong start to 2019
Always was and always will be….
Thanks Bruns you make me proud
What a great flag!
Could be ours if we tried hard enough.
Good to see, a reminder of the resilience of the first people and with hindsight the anti social celebration on a day that reminds Aboriginals of the suffering that they went through,please just change the date out of consideration and respect.
Churlish Jon….Respect to Cook and respect to the lineage of Indigenous culture of this beautiful ancient land we are all privileged to spend our days in…..
The flags should be there always!
So uplifting to see these. Why celebrate 149 years of history when we could be celebrating over 60 thousand years of Australian history. Doesn’t make sense really.
“No one seemed to mind” hardly expresses the genuine delight and pride people felt to see the big bold aboriginal flags flying on the bridge, announcing their presence and place in our community as custodians of our land.