Action Areas:
Participants
Change doesn’t only happen in policy documents or council chambers. It often starts much smaller - in a backyard, over a cup of tea, in the slow work of building trust and shifting one relationship at a time. But change also calls for courage from councils: the willingness to take risks, challenge what has always been done, and make bold decisions that create space for something different. The City of Fremantle’s introduction of One Day, an inclusive alternative to Australia Day, offers one example of local government stepping into that space and turning a community conversation into meaningful civic action. So, how can change be meaningfully propelled at the intersection of grassroots community action and local governance? And what becomes possible when the energy, lived experience and imagination of communities meet the authority, resources and willingness to act of local government?
Truth-telling isn't a single conversation: it's a practice, one that starts with ourselves, deepens through relationships, and slowly reshapes the systems around us. Join Brendan Moore and Sarah Nelson from the City of Fremantle (Walyalup) for a warm and honest conversation about the City’s journey towards building a better and fairer future. From One Day celebrations to a dedicated Stretch RAP pillar and program focused on Truth-Telling, they explore what it means to create safe and inclusive spaces and produce events that invite people to come together — to listen deeply, learn honestly, and hold space for complexity and vulnerability; to sit with difficult truths and discomfort, allow trust to build slowly and on its own terms, and recognise and celebrate the resilience, strength, and self-determination of First Nations communities.
Formal structures like working groups and reconciliation plans matter - they hold the mandate and the mechanics. But what actually carries this work, day to day, are individual relationships: the ones built one honest conversation at a time, across different roles, different systems, and sometimes very different ideas of what risk and accountability even mean. They’ll speak honestly about what this ongoing work asks of them personally, what it looks like in community, built through relationships, trust and shared programming, and what it means to navigate systems shaped by governance, timelines and resourcing constraints, while creating space for listening, complexity, and the strength of grassroots, collective community action to continually shape the work. Come ready to listen deeply, sit in the tension, and reflect on what walking this path might look like in your own work.
“Truth-Telling is about an active process of building new relationships and understanding. It is about truth-doing” – Reconciliation Australia
Learn more about the work of the City of Fremantle (Walyalup) here
About the work
Walyalup Bidi – Fremantle’s Journey
This video shares part of Fremantle’s journey of truth-telling and reconciliation.
Hear from Senior Aboriginal Engagement Officer Brendan Moore as he talks about the history of Walyalup/Fremantle and the importance of understanding the past. It’s part of the City’s ongoing work to listen, learn and build stronger relationships with the community.
The Truth Telling Program
As part of our commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the City of Fremantle’s Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-2027, includes a new pillar Truth-Telling. The City of Fremantle’s Truth-Telling program is an inclusive reconciliation program sitting at the crossroads of arts, culture and community development.
Truth-Telling The City of Fremantle’s Truth-Telling Program is a respectful, inclusive and ongoing commitment to listening, learning and creating space for truth. It supports the community to connect with and learn from First Nations peoples, culture, history and lived experience, while developing a deeper understanding of the historical facts and ongoing impacts of colonisation. Truth-telling acknowledges the true history of Australia, challenges myths such as terra nullius, and recognises the enduring cultural strength, resilience, wisdom and contributions of First Nations peoples. Through deep listening, honest learning and meaningful action, the program seeks to foster healing, strengthen relationships and contribute to reconciliation. At its heart, the program creates opportunities for the community to come together, engage with First Nations voices and experiences, and hold space for complexity and vulnerability - supporting a more connected, respectful and informed community.
