Australia Day 2023 - WugulOra Ceremony

Witness the exquisite dance moves of the Koomurri Aboriginal Dance Troupe at WugulOra Ceremony at Barangaroo on 26 January 2023.  I’ve attempted to highlight the ethereal white dresses and light fall on the faces of the dancers.

I arrived at 6.45am on a burning hot Sydney summer morning.  Secured a central spot behind the barricades, noting I was even further away than last year.  I’d brought my trusty 70-200mm F2.8 plus an extender and hoped it would be sufficient to get close enough to capture quality images. 

It proved quite the challenge - dodging camera crews on the move, fun police event crew, and having to kneel so as not to obstruct the view of those behind me on the hill.

In the end, I was pretty happy with my ‘catch’, particularly given the constant obstructions and suffocating heat.

The WugulOra (One Mob) Morning Ceremony at Barangaroo Reserve is a reminder that Australia’s First Nations people are the foundation of Australia’s story and caretakers of the world’s oldest continual culture. 

Every year since its inception in 2003 (when it was called woggan-ma-gule), this ancient smoking ceremony cleanses the way for new beginnings and celebrates the Gadigal people of the Eora nation through music, dance, language, story-telling and ceremony.

2023 marked the 20th anniversary the Australia Day Morning Ceremony, making this year an even more poignant time to pause, reflect and remember.