Harmony Day 2025
Published on 21 March 2025
Approximately 60 people of various nationalities attended the 2025 Harmony Day celebrations held at the Nhill Memorial Community Centre on Thursday 20 March 2025.
Hindmarsh Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ron Ismay, hosted the evening and explained that the event was being held to celebrate and acknowledge both Harmony Week and Cultural Diversity Week as they coincide and run from Monday 17 March to Sunday 23 March.
Cr Ismay informed the audience that the 2025 theme for Harmony Week is “Harmony – we all have a role to play”, whilst the theme for Cultural Diversity Week is “Embrace the Journey, Shape Our Future”. He explained that both themes were relevant to Hindmarsh Shire saying, “I am proud that Hindmarsh Shire is a multicultural municipality with more than 30 nationalities residing within the community”.
He added “Our community is made stronger by our diversity, through benefits to our economy, workforce and population, but also through opportunities to learn more about the history, culture, food and traditions of our residents, our neighbours, our friends, our colleagues and our families. I am sure you will agree, there is no place for racism, exclusion and discrimination in Hindmarsh Shire”.
Cr Ismay then introduced a series of short video interviews with people who now call Hindmarsh Shire home. Interviews were conducted with Thang Le, Santosh Reddy Aleti, Alice Maw Roe, Bruce Donnelly, Cr Chan Uoy, Tracey Rigney, Miraben and Sanjay Bharania, Robert A. Lewis, and Rekha Rani and Narsi Ram.
All video interviews can be viewed on Hindmarsh Shire Council’s Facebook page.
Cr Chan Uoy, Deputy Mayor, from Dimboola then provided an enlightening and heartfelt presentation about his life emigrating from Cambodia to Australia as a young boy and the difficulties he faced in being the youngest child, having to learn to speak the English language very quickly to support his family, and facing racism from the Australian community. He said this had a profound effect on him as a child coming from a country with civil unrest to a country where you were not wanted. He commented on how much Australia has changed and how he has since experienced communities who embrace and welcome change and cultural diversity.
Cr Uoy said he worked his way through school and then went to university to study business. After several ventures in Melbourne, it was time for a change and he and his partner found themselves falling in love with a former bank building in Dimboola that they now call home.
Cr Ismay then introduced Wiremu Albert Larkins, known locally as Lems, who spoke about being born in Wellington, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and growing up in various places throughout the country’s North Island. He has fond memories of childhood times on the beaches and the forests surrounding his home. Lems relocated to Melbourne and after meeting his partner moved to Nhill. Lems said that when people ask him why he moved to Nhill he says, “I moved for love.” Lems is now heavily involved in many community organisations including St Johns Ambulance and the Lowan Lodge 107 Nhill.
The final act of the evening was a performance of the ‘Don’ dance performed by members of the Horsham Karen community. ‘Don’ means ‘in agreement’ and originated among the Pwo Karen dialect people, who established the dance to reinforce community values. The dance consists of a series of uniform movements accompanied by music played by traditional Karen instruments.
Cr Ismay thanked everyone who had helped make the night a huge success and particularly thanked the speakers and dancers. Cr Ismay said, “We have been treated to wonderful performances and presentations, and I trust that you have all enjoyed the evening”.
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact our Community Wellbeing Team on (03) 5391 4444 or by email at info@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.
Monica Revell
Chief Executive Officer