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Community

13 December, 2024

Light and laughter

ANOTHER successful Light Up Camperdown event was held last Friday with a great community and visitor attendance, with many enjoying the festive air of the event.

By wd-news

Works of art: Children and their families marched along and proudly displayed the lanterns they created themselves, for the Light Up Camperdown festival.
Works of art: Children and their families marched along and proudly displayed the lanterns they created themselves, for the Light Up Camperdown festival.

Mayor Kate Makin said Paul Kelly from the Eastern Maar Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation performed a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony at the base of the clocktower to start the event.

Mr Kelly, who has been touring with the band Goanna, shared stories of his ancestors, local landmarks, the six seasons observed by Eastern Maar peoples and gave some tips on playing the yidaki (didgeridoo) before playing a song.

One of the new additions for this year was a collection of neon light displays set up along the avenue, which proved a hit with the intermittent cloud cover enhancing their lights.

The neon lights included Santa Claus, a reindeer, a pair of wings and other Christmas-themed items.

Other festival favourites included face painting, bubbles and a Rotary market with various local crafts and food.

“This year we engaged artist in residence Clare Younis, who worked with local schools providing opportunities for children, to create lanterns and join in the parade,” Cr Makin said.

“The parade was enjoyed by all with community lanterns leading the way to the lighting up of the clocktower in red and green to celebrate Christmas.

“There was a great collaboration between Ms Younis and fellow artist Sherry Johnstone who created an animated work projected onto the civic centre.”

Following the lantern parade, led by town crier James Carter, a group of children were given the microphone to sing a Christmas carol following proceedings.

With the festive season around the corner, businesses held extended trading hours to allow for extra Christmas shopping while Santa Claus and the Grinch made guest appearances along Manifold Street.

The projections on the wall of the civic centre, which were unveiled after the lantern parade, celebrate the Indigenous six seasons, which are:

  • Ballambar, the butterfly season - mid-November until late January;

  • Kooyong, the eel season – late January until late March;

  • Gwangal Moronn, the honeybee season - late March until the end of May;

  • Chinnup, the cockatoo season - June until late July;

  • Larneuk, the nesting bird season – late July until August; and

  • Petyan, the wildflower season – late August until mid-November.

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