Aunty Dot’s legacy turns 20 at the Shrine

Aunty Dot Peters AM did not set out to start a tradition. She simply believed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service in the Australian Defence Force deserved its own place on the Shrine of Remembrance forecourt. Twenty years later, the Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service she co-founded with Retired Flight Sergeant Sam Halim returns for its 20th anniversary on Sunday 31 May 2026.

The service, held during National Reconciliation Week, has grown from a small gathering into one of Melbourne’s most significant annual acts of remembrance. It runs from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Second World War Memorial Forecourt, Birdwood Avenue, and is free and open to the public.

A photograph from the 2025 service, shared by the Shrine of Remembrance, shows Dr Andrew Peters standing among uniformed Defence Force members in a moment of silence. It is a quiet image that captures two decades of effort to make this moment visible. For years, the contributions of First Nations service men and women went unrecognised in mainstream commemorations. This service was the first of its kind at the Shrine to centre their experiences.

The late Aunty Dot, a Yorta Yorta and Yarra Yarra descendant, had been a long-time advocate for recognition. She and Sam Halim of Healesville RSL pushed for a dedicated commemoration, and the first service was held in 2006. Today, the ceremony includes the Ode recited in Taungurung language by Aunty Loraine Padgham and a wreath laid with native botanicals.

Among the faces remembered are Able Seaman Patrick Daniel Syron, a Biripi man who served on HMAS Condamine during the Korean War, and Warrant Officer Leonard Waters, Australia’s first known Indigenous fighter pilot, who flew 95 missions in World War II. Their stories are part of a broader effort to correct the historical record.

Anyone can attend. Registration is encouraged via Humanitix for planning purposes, but the service is open to the public and does not require a ticket. Travellers Aid can assist veterans and families with transport from tram stop #20 (Anzac Station) or Birdwood Avenue parking. Call 0498 023 959. The site is wheelchair accessible and child-friendly.

For those unable to attend in person, a live stream will be available on YouTube. This year’s 20th anniversary makes it a milestone event, and organisers suggest early registration to help with numbers.

Tram routes on St Kilda Road stop directly outside the Shrine, and Travellers Aid volunteers will be at Anzac Station to provide assisted mobility if needed. Driving is possible, but parking is limited.

After the service, the Shrine Education Centre opens for refreshments. Across Melbourne, other Reconciliation Week events continue from 27 May to 3 June, offering further opportunities to engage.

Aunty Dot Peters died in 2020, but the ceremony she built now sits permanently in the Shrine’s calendar. On Sunday morning, it will again begin with the words she helped ensure would not be forgotten.