Too much of a good thing? Aussies split on Welcome to Country ceremonies

It seems the national conversation around Welcome to Country ceremonies has reached a new boiling point, with fresh survey data suggesting that many Aussies have, in the words of one commentator, 'had an absolute gutful' of the practice.

But is the story really that simple? Let’s take a closer look at what’s behind the headlines, what the ceremonies actually mean, and why the debate is so heated.



Survey Says: Divisive or Meaningful?
A recent poll conducted by Dynata for the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) surveyed just over a thousand Australians and found that 56per cent of respondents now see Welcome to Country ceremonies as 'divisive'.

Only 17 per cent disagreed, while the rest were unsure. Even among younger Australians, aged 18 to 24—often thought to be more progressive—nearly half (48 per cent) didn’t see the ritual as unifying.

When it comes to specific events, the numbers are just as split. For example, 46 per cent of respondents said Welcome to Country should no longer be performed before Anzac Day ceremonies, and 49 per cent said the same about sporting matches.

On the other hand, a significant minority (34 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively) still support the tradition at these events.


Screenshot 2025-06-30 at 11.12.35.png
Over half of surveyed Australians (56 per cent) believe Welcome to Country ceremonies have become divisive, with only 17 per cent disagreeing and 27 per cent unsure. Image source: Curtin University / Youtube.



What’s Behind the Backlash?
Mr Wild stated that ‘even younger Australians, who the political class insist are left-wing and woke, by a two-to-one margin believe Welcome to Country performances are divisive,’ in a statement released alongside the findings.

He added that opinions were evenly split when it came to such performances at sporting events and Anzac Day commemorations, which he said ‘further underscor[es] how divisive it is’.

Mr Wild also criticised Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who began her National Press Club speech on Wednesday by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land. She emphasised that while the gesture shouldn't become routine, there is ‘a time and a place’ for both Acknowledgement and Welcome to Country ceremonies.

‘Look, I think Acknowledgement of Country have their place, but in significant moments like yesterday was one of those places,’ Ms Ley told ABC Radio on Thursday, when asked whether her remarks had ‘settled’ the wider debate around the practice.

In earlier news: Boos spark outrage during welcome to country at dawn service



‘And as Environment Minister and Health Minister, I listened carefully and I participated in what I would describe as meaningful Welcome to Country ceremonies that involved the circumstances of Indigenous Australians with respect to our natural environment and their health that were relevant and important.

‘I don’t think it should be ticking a box on a Teams meeting. I don’t think it should be at every work meeting, because I think that actually diminishes the value of what it is.

‘So there is a time and a place, and it’s about striking the right balance.’

Mr Wild contended that ‘commonsense, working class, mainstream Australians understand something that the highly credentialed elites do not: Australians do not want to be divided by race, and we do not want or need to be welcomed to our own country.’


Source: Sky News Australia / Youtube.​


Finding the Right Balance
Ms Ley’s comments represented a notable shift from her predecessor Peter Dutton, who chose not to include Acknowledgement of Country statements at key events and speeches during his campaign. He had described the practice as excessive and said he did not support Welcome to Country ceremonies on Anzac Day.

Mr Wild argued that Ms Ley’s approach was ‘at odds with modern Australia’, and criticised her for having ‘[failed] to state who the purported traditional owners of the National Press Club are’.

Meanwhile, several Indigenous leaders and academics voiced concerns to The Daily Telegraph over both the frequency of Welcome to Country ceremonies and the intentions behind them.

‘Welcome to Country is overused. It is meant to be a sacred ceremony between tribes, not to be commercialised like a money-making machine,’ said former South Australian AFL player Tyson Lindsay.

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‘I talk to my elders about it and they say it is not acceptable, every time we hear it we cringe now … There are too many real issues facing Aboriginal people to be worrying about these empty symbolic gestures.

‘I am looking for real change for the good of rather than symbolic tokenism.’

Indigenous businessman and public figure Warren Mundine said he was tired of the practice being politicised.

‘A welcome is supposed to be, “I’m glad you’re here”,’ Mr Mundine said. ‘It’s like welcoming someone into your house.’

Earlier this year, Wiradjuri woman and University of Melbourne Associate Professor of Indigenous Education, Dr Jessa Rogers, told news.com.au that the belief Welcome to Country was ‘about welcoming you to Australia’ was ‘completely ridiculous’.


Source: ABC News (Australia) / Youtube.​


‘People think that a Welcome to Country is welcoming them to Australia, when in fact it is welcoming them to the specific Country of that local Aboriginal nation,’ Dr Rogers said.

Dr Rogers explained that the tradition is a formal welcome by the traditional custodians of a specific area.

‘Country is not the same as “Australia”,’ she said. ‘It is a spiritual concept as well as a physical one — it encompasses landmarks but also people, skies, waterways and beings. Country is what we belong to as Aboriginal people.’

Key Takeaways

  • Over half of surveyed Australians (56 per cent) believe Welcome to Country ceremonies have become divisive, with only 17 per cent disagreeing and 27 per cent unsure.
  • The younger demographic (18 to 24 years), often seen as more progressive, are also split, with 48 per cent not viewing Welcome to Country as unifying.
  • Sentiment is mixed regarding the performance of Welcome to Country at major events, with a significant proportion not wanting it at Anzac Day or sporting matches.
  • Both Indigenous leaders and politicians have called for a review into the frequency of the practice, with some arguing it’s become overused and has lost its intended significance.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, members! Have you noticed more Welcome to Country ceremonies at events you attend? Do you find them meaningful, or do you think they’re overused? Should they be reserved for special occasions, or included as a matter of course? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below!
 
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This welcome to country crap, is a joke. I have my opinion and I’m entitled to it. Every event has it! We have voted a clear NO, on the referendum. Albo needs a foot in the butt. I’m sick of my taxes, paying more money to the aboriginal community, than is spent on the whole of Medicare in Australia. The point is, we shouldn’t throw money at them, and a lot of the time, we pay for their housing, and all healthcare costs too. Then the grog bill! Just seems that nothing constructive is ever done with the money. Even the free housing gets vandalised and destroyed. Pauline Hanson has been saying it for decades, also about immigration. She would make a better leader, than airmiles Albo! We just keep throwing more money at them! It’s like throwing money to a gambler or drug addict. My husband was in the armed services, and he believes that not one indigenous Australian, has ever put up their hand, and defended Australia. Apparently, it’s “Welcome to their home “! But other Aussies defend it for them. Isn’t that sweet. Gezzabel.
 
I do not need or want to be welcomed to my country ! I am a 5th generation Australian. I served in the Vietnam war and are now Totally and Permantly incapicated. Not many people were lining up to welcome back to my country after Vietnam. I had many family members in WW1 and WW2 (two of who died). We need to get rid of this rubbish soon.
It has become just another money making enterprise used by all the bleeding hearts that are firmly attached to the first nations nipple.
 
Stop wasting money on welcome to country. No one is interested. When it's on television before a sporting event, we use that time to go to the toilet or get a drink. I don't need to be welcomed to my country. I don't need someone who is whiter than I am, but supposedly indigenous, welcoming me. Use the thousands of dollars for something to benefit those who need it.
 
1. They were never Nations. They wer mobs that shared common boundaries between other mobs.
2. A ceremony of type was around to welcome other mobs into a different mobs area.
3. Ernie Dingo and a mate made up this fake one years ago.
4. Now it is nothing more than a political stunt.
5. And yes it is extremely divisive.
 
I was told it was made up in the 60' or 70's because Tongan's (I believe) came to Australia and were surprised there was no traditional welcoming ceremony like tongan's have - so one was created.
 
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This welcome to country crap, is a joke. I have my opinion and I’m entitled to it. Every event has it! We have voted a clear NO, on the referendum. Albo needs a foot in the butt. I’m sick of my taxes, paying more money to the aboriginal community, than is spent on the whole of Medicare in Australia. The point is, we shouldn’t throw money at them, and a lot of the time, we pay for their housing, and all healthcare costs too. Then the grog bill! Just seems that nothing constructive is ever done with the money. Even the free housing gets vandalised and destroyed. Pauline Hanson has been saying it for decades, also about immigration. She would make a better leader, than airmiles Albo! We just keep throwing more money at them! It’s like throwing money to a gambler or drug addict. My husband was in the armed services, and he believes that not one indigenous Australian, has ever put up their hand, and defended Australia. Apparently, it’s “Welcome to their home “! But other Aussies defend it for them. Isn’t that sweet. Gezzabel.
3,159 (3.7 per cent) of currently serving Australian Defence Force members, and 11,610 (2.3 per cent) of previously served, identify as having Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Data ranges from 0 to 81758.
 
Welcome to Country should only be for dignitaries arriving from overseas.
We do not need to be welcomed to our own country.
 
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I’ve attended some wonderful welcome to country ceremonies.
In the early days, the ceremony was a simple smoking ceremony with an unpaid local elder performing it.
In one instance, we were all invited to call the elder Aunty as a mark of mutual respect.
In another, the significance of local landmarks were explained and we were asked to respect that and not to do certain things, like the billabong was a women’s business place and to please not swim in it. We weren’t precluded from visiting the place, we weren’t told we couldn’t, just asked politely to respect the site.
And naturally, we did because no demands were made.
That is mutual respect. The polite request respected our rights but asked us to respect the traditions.
So different from today where the ceremonies have been high jacked by activists who beat the drum about it being their land, etc., and make demands.
On a brighter note, the most recent one I attended, the indigenous man performing it began with, I’m not going to do a traditional welcome because we are all Australians.
He recounted his people’s history and didn’t shirk away from the historic tragedies. He then went on to explain the significance of the performance to come and how he hoped it would provide everyone with a deep understanding and connection.
The next speaker was of the stolen generation who spoke about what it meant to her to return to country. The depth of her emotional response echoed in her words. There was no blame, no accusations, no demands, just a sharing of a personal experience that resonated deeply amongst the attendees.
Both speakers demonstrated the potential to return to something in which everyone is respected.
However, to do that, the ceremony needs to go back to its roots, stop being used as a political forum and stop being used by organisations as virtual signalling.
A simple welcome to country at the AFL grand final is in order and maybe the opening game, but every game, no.
The opening of parliament but not every session.
Every internal flight in Australia, no.
The opening of an envelope, no.
You get my drift
 
Yes, definitely.
We are certainly being groomed for that
The extreme left narrative has succeeded in aligning the Greens, indigenous activists and the LBGTQI+ radicals with the Islamic extremism, the incongruity of which should not be lost on any thinking person. It’s like the black celebrity who supports hitler. Which part of, you are not welcome and we will destroy your heritage, repress you and probably kill you, do they not understand?
 
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I do not need or want to be welcomed to my country ! I am a 5th generation Australian. I served in the Vietnam war and are now Totally and Permantly incapicated. Not many people were lining up to welcome back to my country after Vietnam. I had many family members in WW1 and WW2 (two of who died). We need to get rid of this rubbish soon.
It has become just another money making enterprise used by all the bleeding hearts that are firmly attached to the first nations nipple.
Same same.
 
"Welcome to Country" implies the Aboriginal/Indigenous population of Australia are a separate population of citizens of a country we happen to merely be invited guests.
Well, we're not 'invited guests.' Most of us were born here. The original British settlers were invaders, back in the time when invasion was a legitimate way to acquire more land, and their descendants have lived here for generations. Some of us are descendants of migrants. Some of us are migrates. We live in this country. This country lives in the 21st century. It's time the 'Aboriginal Activists' stopped this money-making charade which promotes their self interest and heightens racial tension/anti-Aboriginal sentiment.
 

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