What is the name of the Indigenous morning ceremony held in Sydney on Australia Day?

The Indigenous morning ceremony held in Sydney on Australia Day is the WugulOra Morning Ceremony.

WugulOra takes place at Barangaroo on Gadigal Country, beside Sydney Harbour. The name means “One Mob” and reflects the ceremony’s emphasis on unity, connection, reflection and reconciliation. It features First Nations music, dance, storytelling, language and a smoking ceremony.

The event began in 2003 under the name Woggan-ma-gule, a phrase meaning “Meeting of the waters.” It was later renamed WugulOra. The ceremony is part of Sydney’s Australia Day program and is intended to place First Nations culture and perspectives at the beginning of the day’s events.

A common mix-up is to treat WugulOra as a generic “Dreamtime Ceremony.” Dreaming stories are an important part of many Aboriginal cultures, but Dreamtime Ceremony is not the official name of this Sydney event. NAIDOC refers to a separate national observance and is not this Australia Day ceremony.