Queensland RSL drops Welcome to Country: Indigenous elder condemns move
Backlash has erupted after a Queensland RSL said it would scrap Welcome to Country and acknowledgment at this year’s Dawn Service, drawing condemnation from an Indigenous elder.
A decision to remove Welcome to Country and an acknowledgment from a Queensland RSL Dawn Service has sparked anger and pointed to a wider national fight over how Anzac Day should recognise First Nations history.
The RSL, in Townsville, drew criticism after it opted not to include a Welcome to Country during this year’s Dawn Service.. Thousands gathered in the garrison city for the ceremony, where the absence of the usual First Nations welcome has been felt by attendees who see it as part of the event’s moral and cultural fabric.
Indigenous elder and activist Gracelyn Smallwood said the choice was “very disgraceful”, arguing that Indigenous servicemen returned from war without the same benefits afforded to many white Australians.. She linked the issue directly to recognition and citizenship rights, pointing to the lack of pensions and land in the aftermath of service.. For Smallwood, the omission is not a technical edit to a program—it is another moment where Indigenous Australians are asked to stand at the edge of national commemoration.
Why “Welcome to Country” carries weight on Anzac Day
Townsville’s connection to Australia’s military history makes the Welcome to Country question sharper.. The city’s relationship to service and sacrifice is not abstract; the Dawn Service is built around remembrance, and it traditionally draws a broad public that expects the ceremony to reflect the full story of those who served.
Supporters of including a Welcome to Country say it functions as more than cultural performance.. It is a form of respect that acknowledges connection to land, sovereignty, and ongoing presence—an acknowledgment that resonates on days when the nation is focused on loss, duty, and belonging.. In that context, removing the welcome can feel like shrinking the meaning of “coming together” for remembrance.
RSL says event program is up to the organisation
A spokesperson for Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said the program is a matter for the RSL, and the Townsville RSL has been contacted for comment.. That position places the decision inside the boundaries of event management, but it does not automatically calm the concern.. For critics, the public nature of Anzac Day changes the stakes: when large crowds gather under a shared national script, the choices that shape the program quickly become political and personal.
Across Australia, other services also reflected the intensity of debate. In Cairns, the Anzac Day service included an acknowledgment and a didgeridoo performance, while services in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne saw booing during the Welcome to Country.
National debate: respect, backlash, and the question of “overuse”
The broader conversation has not been limited to the Townsville decision.. Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor described the booing as “absolutely unacceptable”, but argued that Welcome to Country ceremonies can be “overused” and that the repeated use risks devaluing them over time.. His comments framed the controversy as a tension between respect and what some Australians perceive as repetition.
That position, however, was challenged by West Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Don Punch, who accused Taylor and WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas of siding with a “populist view”.. Punch urged them to recognise that some people hold strong—he said—racist views, but warned against dismissing Welcome to Country ceremonies as if they were optional extras.. In his view, the welcome is a clear, simple message: greeting people and showing respect for First Nations culture and land.
What comes next for Anzac Day ceremonies
The Townsville backlash will likely put pressure on RSL branches and event organisers well beyond this single morning.. The argument is not only about inclusion at one ceremony, but about how institutions interpret national remembrance—whether they treat First Nations recognition as essential, ceremonial, or removable.
For many attendees, the practical impact is immediate: the shape of the program determines whether people feel seen.. For Indigenous communities, it influences whether their place in Australia’s military history is acknowledged with the same dignity as other parts of the national narrative.. And for the wider public, it tests whether Anzac Day can remain a unifying commemoration in the face of cultural misunderstandings and competing ideas about what “respect” should look like.
As the debate spreads, organisers across the country may face tougher questions from within their communities: not just whether a Welcome to Country appears, but why it matters, and what message is sent when it is left out.. Misryoum will be watching whether similar decisions are reviewed in the lead-up to next year’s services, and how RSLs respond to public calls for greater consistency and respect.