News

Aboriginal Flag welcomed

By Robert Muir

Mar 1, 2022

The Aboriginal, Australian and Torres Strait islander Flags stand together as one in the Federation Council Chamber at the Corowa Civic Centre. Pictured beside the flags at Federation Council’s first monthly meeting for 2022, on Tuesday, February 15 and the first with the trio of flags, were General Manager Adrian Butler (left) and Mayor Pat Bourke.

Federation Council now has the Aboriginal Flag in its council chamber.

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Its presence follows the Federal Government’s purchase on January 31 of the flag’s copyrights for $20 million after long negotiations with artist Harold Thomas who had given exclusive license to a non-indigenous company.

“We’ve freed the Aboriginal Flag for Australians,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at the time.

Mayor of Federation Council Pat Bourke welcomed the flag in the council chamber on Tuesday, February 15 at council’s monthly meeting.

“It’s certainly an honour to have the Aboriginal Flag in the chamber as a sign of respect and recognition of its traditional owners of the land,” he said.

“It’s good to have the rights to the flag, back to where it should be – with the people.”

Federation Council’s General Manager Adrian Butler said council is very happy to have the Aboriginal Flag.

“Council is working on its reconciliation plan in recognising the traditional owners right across the Federation Council area,” he said.

By Robert Muir

Journalist