Locals have a dream, that a “Flame of Hope” relay will spark a national journey to reconciliation. 

The “Flame of Hope and Reconciliation”, after travelling in a relay from CSU, will burn in the Orange Civic Square for seven days symbolising that it is up to us all, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians alike, to build a better future together.

This is the dream shared by Wiradjuri elder, Uncle Neil Ingram, and local real estate agent, Chris Gryllis, who have partnered together for this special Reconciliation Week event; one that they hope will eventually be taken-up by towns and cities around Australia.

“I was lucky enough during the [Sydney] Olympic Games to carry the Olympic torch and that inspired me — it was quite an exciting feeling,” Chris, who immigrated to Orange from the Greek island of Patmos six decades ago and remains fiercely proud of his heritage, explained.

A Rotarian and former Orange City Councillor with a passion for helping the Orange community, Chris came up with the idea for an Olympic-inspired relay, passing a flame from hand to hand, from Indigenous to non-Indigenous runners, as a symbol of unity and reconciliation.

“Initially I wanted to do it Australia-wide, but nobody wanted anything to do with it,” said Chris, who first raised his proposal in Orange City Life about four years ago.

Finally, getting nowhere, early this year he resolved to do it himself and plan a small, local relay.

“I decided that, if we do it locally, do a test run — that's what we are doing, it is a test run — and then see what happens,” he said.

Reaching out to Uncle Neil and Orange’s Indigenous Deputy Mayor, Councillor Gerald Power for support, Chris’ vision for what is being called the “Flame of Hope and Reconciliation Relay” is finally set to become a reality.

Starting 10am on Friday morning, May 27, with a smoking ceremony at the ‘Yarning Circle’ at the CSU Orange Campus, a lit gold miner’s lamp will be brought in relay to Southcourt in the Orange Civic Square Precinct.

“The whole concept was good I thought, so we worked together to try and put it in place,” said Uncle Neil.

“So we’ve tried to get a few torch bearers, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal and other nationalities to participate in this.

“The plan is, we will kick-off out at CSU, we will have a smoking ceremony and a couple of good speakers, and that's where will start with the torch and bring it all the way into the South Court  I've organised for Elders to be there, we will have a guard of honour so we can light the torch.”

Once the relay reaches the Southcourt at midday, it will be used to light a specially commissioned cauldron that will remain burning for the entire Reconciliation Week.

On one side of the cauldron is written the Wiradjuri word, Ngumba-dal, which means unity.

On the other, Yindyamarra, which Uncle Neil said translates as “respect”, but which also has a deeper, broader meaning.

“It is Wiradjuri philosophy of respect, respect for all people, all things, especially our Elders, '' he said.

The head of the cauldron is shaped like a coolamon, a traditional multi-purpose wooden vessel with curved sides, and the base has been adorned with the story of the platypus, the totem animal for Orange.

“I spoke to Chris and Uncle Neil, and we all wanted something that represented the Orange area,” said artist Ricky Ah-See. “So I painted the platypus story on it that was given to me by Iris Reid.”

The relay and lighting of the cauldron may just be symbolic gestures, but symbols are important, said Cr Power, who will be speaking on Reconciliation at the lighting ceremony.

“Bringing Australians together and creating that partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from wherever they come from, and to have this flame together, is vitally important,” said Cr Power. “Because it signifies a flame of hope as well, yindyamarra, a hope that we can actually, one day, walk together in unity in Australia.”

“A chap yesterday asked me, ‘what does it mean for Orange?’,” added Uncle Neil.

“I first arrived here 40 years ago, and it was an extremely racist town, and one of the main problems was, no-one talked about the things that affected Aboriginal people.

“We, as a Nation, we need to start talking, and you've got to start and understand the history of Aboriginal people…We have to get out there and start educating the wider community to come together and embrace this business — you can't move forward unless there is healing, so this is very good.”

Things have slowly changed and got better for Aboriginal people over the last 40 years, said Uncle Neil, But it is up to all of us to continue that journey

“I'm a Christian man, I believe in God, believe that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins and Jesus was about forgiveness — as a nation, we need to start forgiving rather than criticising or condemning others,” Uncle Neil said.

“This is what the torch relay is all about: making reconciliation everybody's business. But we can only do our bit, you see, so that's why I got involved in this with Chris, it is about reconciliation, bringing everybody together and making people more aware of the importance of it.”

For Chris Gryllis, seeing the Flame of Hope and Reconciliation Relay become a reality here in Orange, is something that he hopes will inspire other communities around the country. 

“I hope the Flame of Hope and Reconciliation will make a significant change to the relationship between Aboriginal people and white Australians,” he said.

“And once we've done this test run, I'd like to see, perhaps next year, the same thing take place in Dubbo and Bathurst… we can carry the Flame of Hope together for a better outcome and if this can become a national event, all the better.”

The Flame of Hope and Reconciliation Relay begins at 10am on Friday, May 27, at the CSU Yarning Circle, “Girinyalanha” Aboriginal Nature and Bioscience Park, and will proceed down Leeds Parade to the Southcourt (Orange Civic Square Precinct). The official lighting of the cauldron will take place at 12pm.