Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags on permanent display in City of Albany council chambers

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags are now on permanent display in the City of Albany council chambers, a move Menang Noongar elder Carol Pettersen said was a sign of “respect and dignity”. The flags frame the City of Albany crest, alongside the WA and Australian flags, in the centre of the council chambers. It is the first time the flags have been on permanent display in the chambers in the City’s 151 years as an independent local government. A special event was held last month to unfurl the flags alongside Menang Noongar elders, with Carol Pettersen — the City of Albany’s first Menang Noongar councillor — delivering a welcome to country. Ms Pettersen, pictured, explored the weighted significance of the flag for Aboriginal people. “Like hundreds of Noongars before me, and many of those born after me, I was not born a citizen in my country; nor were my children,” she said. “We as Aboriginal peoples, we were denied any rights or place of pride under the Australian flag.” Ms Pettersen said the flag was more than a piece of decoration but represented the country’s past, present and future. “On July 14, 1995, the Governor General of Australia William Hayden proclaimed both the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag as an official ‘Flag of Australia’ under the Flags Act 1953,” she said. “It gave us that longed-for sense of recognitions and acceptance of national identity and pride, however most of all the flag gave strength to our collective voice.” Ms Pettersen said it was a step in the right direction, but she would like to see the Aboriginal flag flown permanently on top of the Albany Town Hall, similar to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. “To fly the national flag is a sign of pride; it’s a positive affirmation of loyalty and commitment,” she said. “It marks out a country that has confidence in itself, and is comfortable with its place in the world, its history and its future.” “It is therefore imperative that as one of Australia’s most important symbols, that the Aboriginal flag will fly as a sign of respect and dignity.” Mayor Dennis Wellington said having the flags on display in council chambers demonstrated the City’s focus of collaborating with the local Aboriginal community. “Albany was one of the only places in Australia where initial contact between Europeans and Aboriginal people was friendly and we are proud to continue this tradition of harmony,” he said. “We’re currently involving them in conversations about what Albany’s bicentenary will look like and how cultural acknowledgement and inclusion can be part and parcel of what we do for that anniversary. “So from council’s perspective, it makes sense to have the Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait Island flag in its chamber as it formally acknowledges our traditional custodians in the place where we do business, and the partnerships we have with our Menang Noongar people.”