WET weather and a late change of venue didn’t stop a record crowd from attending this year’s Gawler Reconciliation Community Fun Day last Wednesday.

Organised by the Gawler Reconciliation Action Group (GRAC), the event was a celebration of aboriginal culture and aimed to foster healthy relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Australia.

Event organisers faced a last-minute change of venue from Apex Park to the Gawler Sport and Community Centre after wet weather hit early in the week.

GRAC co-chair Rebecca Kimlin said despite the location swap, an estimated 1100 people attended the event, including between 700 and 800 school children.

“We ran out of food, which is always a good sign,” she said.

“All the performers loved it, the only downfall you get from being inside is you don’t get that feel of being connected to country during the Welcome to Country.

“They (the performers) did a really good job of making it still feel connected to the Kaurna Welcome to Country.

“This year was different because it was intimate and in the stadium.”

The day featured Adelaide Aboriginal language teacher and performer Jack Buckskin, and music from Torres Strait Islander musician Eddie Peters.

Other activities included a damper workshop, traditional aboriginal painting lessons and a large fire pit.

Schools from around the region also created banners to celebrate the event and National Reconciliation Week, which finished on Monday.

Mrs Kimlin, who has co-organised the event for the past five years, said having aboriginal and non-aboriginal people share the experience fosters healing in the community.

“Reconciliation is important to me because I want my babies and the next generation of kids growing up, particularly aboriginal kids, to feel safe from racism and have a strong sense of belonging, identity and connectedness,” she said.

“The event achieves this in big and little ways, without kids even realising it’s happening.

“Because they have their non-aboriginal brothers and sisters there, they’re on par.

“There’s a sense of equity there and a sense of pride because this is about their culture and they get to share it with their non-aboriginal friends.

“That helps aboriginal kids and young people break free from trauma and ongoing health issues in the future.

“Racism has a big part in that and if we can have a zero tolerance approach and a safe zone, even if it is one event for the year, it creates conversations that are everlasting.”