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Welcome to Country | Albany Pride Festival

Welcome to Country

Dates & Times:

Thursday, 19th February 2026 @ 5:30pm
Mokare Statue
➔ Event Details

Join us as we open our 10th anniversary Albany Pride Festival with a very special Welcome to Country, led by our Menang Elder Aunty Vern Gillies.


As we gather on Menang Boodja, we will honour Mokare, the respected Menang Noongar leader whose statue stands proudly on York Street. Believed to be the only statue of an Aboriginal warrior on a main street in Australia, Mokare is remembered not for battle, but for his remarkable leadership as a man of peace. His legacy of connection, understanding, and community spirit continues to guide our community today.

It is in that same spirit of respect and unity that we come together to begin our 2026 Albany Pride Festival. Join us for this meaningful and grounding moment as we open the Festival on Country.

Dates & Times
Thursday
19th February, 2026
5:30pm
Location
Mokare Statue
221 York Street, Albany WA 6330
Open in Google Maps
Price
Free
Duration
1hr
Accessibility Information
Accessibility Information
Note about accessibility information: Albany Pride regularly undertake evaluations about accessibility information of our venues, and take them into account when choosing venues for events, but we cannot always guarantee the accuracy of information in the light of changes to the venue that fall outside of our control. We have provided accessibility for the venue in general, but these may also be different for the event itself (e.g. making gendered-toilets gender-neutral for the event), so please make sure you check both the venue and event accessibility information below.
Talent
Aunty Vernice Gillies
Aunty Vernice Gillies
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Website

Vernice Gillies is a Menang Elder who is passionate about cultural heritage, conservation and preservation of cultural knowledge and traditions. Vernice has a long history in presenting cross-cultural awareness workshops and teaching students about Indigenous tourism. She has worked extensively with the Albany Heritage Reference Group on projects such as the Oyster Harbour Fish Traps Conservation Project and the Yurlmun: Mokare Mia Boodja Exhibition.

Vernice received the 2019 Senior Citizen of the Year Award for the Albany region.

(Credit: Kurrah Mia)

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Albany Pride Festival ALBANY PRIDE is proudly and unapologetically inclusive of the entire spectrum of the Queer community, and gives its thanks and respect to our Queer elders who fought for the freedoms and rights we enjoy today.
Acknowledgement of Country Albany Pride Festival acknowledges the Menang People of the Noongar Nation, the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we work, and we pay respect to Elders past and present across this great nation, and on the lands we call Australia.
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