For Aunty Violet Sheridan, Reconciliation Day commemorations were a family affair.
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At a ceremony marking the start of the day at Reconciliation Place, the Ngunnawal elder led the welcome to country, among strong winds and heavy rain.
She was alongside her son, Richie Allan, who conducted a traditional smoking ceremony, and her grandson, Isaiah Murray, playing the didgeridoo.
Ms Sheridan said days such as Reconciliation Day were important in bringing not only three generations of one family together, but the whole community.
"It's about coming together as Australians," Ms Sheridan said.
"It's about walking to the future and teaching our younger generation that this is what it's all about, and connecting with one another.
"The day is a chance to bring people together and us sharing our culture with the wider community."
Despite the cold weather, dozens of people came to Reconciliation Place for the event, many being warmed by the fire, which managed to stand up to the rain.
Those who had gathered for the ceremony also got the chance to have a guided tour of the many Indigenous artworks along Reconciliation Place. The rain cleared by mid-morning, just in time for events held in Glebe Park.
Among the festivities were many musical and dance performances, including Melbourne duo The Merindas and the Chesterfield Band.
It's the second year the ACT has commemorated Reconciliation Day, marking the anniversary of the 1967 referendum that allowed for Aboriginals to be counted in the census. The ACT is the only jurisdiction in Australia that commemorates the day.
This year's Reconciliation Day came a day after the announcement of Australia's first Indigenous Minister for Indigenous Affairs. Ken Wyatt was appointed to the position as part of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's new cabinet.
Ms Sheridan was thrilled about the appointment. "I'm absolutely over the moon about it," she said.
National Capital Authority chief executive Sally Barnes said the day was an important chance for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canberrans to reflect on what reconciliation meant to them.
"We still need to work hard on reconciliation so that we pay our respect to elders who have lived here for tens of thousands of years," Ms Barnes said.
"[The morning ceremony] is a low-key but very moving and spiritual way to start Reconciliation Day with elders to say we're on a journey to reconciliation."
Ms Sheridan said she hoped for Reconciliation Day to move beyond the ACT in future years.
"Hopefully the new Prime Minister and the new government brings Reconciliation Day as a pubic holiday to the attention of the other states," she said.
"If he takes that step, I think each and every premier and chief minister would follow."