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1. Welcome to country

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a unique position in the history and culture of Australia. They are the original owners of the land and it is important that this special position is recognised and incorporated in official events such as festivals and community events, program launches and other major social and community events.

The Welcome to Country ceremony recognises the original owners of the land and welcomes others to the place.

A “Welcome to country” ceremony is when the Aboriginal Custodians of the land/sea welcomes the visitors/invited guests to their Country. An Aboriginal representative/s conducts the ceremony. (This would normally be the first item on the agenda.)

It is not usually appropriate for you to contact an Aboriginal person directly; you need to contact the Local Aboriginal Land Council or Aboriginal Organisation so that you can follow the correct procedures to carry out a “Welcome to Country”. This will vary according to areas.
The appropriate organisation will allocate a representative(s).

It is important to discuss the arrangements with the representative(s) prior to the ceremony.

In some areas a fee is paid or a gift is presented to the representative(s)

The Welcome to Country ceremony is only undertaken by Elders, locally recognised Aboriginal community spokespersons or locally recognised cultural service providers.

There is no exact wording for Welcome to Country. The content of the ceremony should be negotiated between your organisation and the person undertaking the ceremony with reference to the nature of the event and community practices.

Generally, people giving a Welcome to Country offer participants local Aboriginal history and cultural information and will go on to welcome the delegates to the country.

The traditional owners/custodians are to be approached to undertake the Welcome to Country ceremony. This is dependent upon the location of the event and the practices of the local Aboriginal community. It is important to ensure that negotiations with the local Aboriginal community have occurred and that appropriate Aboriginal Elders are invited to undertake the ceremony.

Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Indigenous Coordination Centres are a key contacts for Elders, who can undertake a Welcome to Country. The Department of Aboriginal Affairs may also be contacted for advice on the appropriate persons to approach.

If a Welcome to Country ceremony cannot be undertaken then an Acknowledgement of Country can be conducted.

Further reading

NSW Health has a Welcome to Country Protocols Policy (14 pages) may be useful for community organisations. NSW Health Welcome to Country Protocols Policy (PDF)