Our new event
The Winter Solstice Ceremony is Australia House Institute Inc.’s new signature gathering — marking the shortest day and the return of the light in community, on the Mornington Peninsula.
Across cultures, the winter solstice has long been a moment to pause at the darkest point of the year and welcome the sun’s return. Our ceremony brings that ancient turning into community life — outdoors, with care for place, and open to everyone.
It sits alongside our national-day ceremonies as a seasonal celebration: reflective, welcoming, and rooted in the Peninsula landscape.
In a busy year of national days, the solstice offers another kind of gathering — one keyed to the sky and the season. It gives families, neighbours, and newcomers a dignified public moment to mark the midwinter turn together.
As with all our events, we hold the ceremony with respect for Country, for protocol, and for the people who come.
Expect an outdoor midwinter ceremony shaped with creative direction from Matthew Joscelyne — using light, place, and shared ritual so the evening stays with you. Full program details will be shared as the first Peninsula Winter Solstice approaches.
Past work with illuminated planetary spheres and dusk gatherings informs the spirit of this new event; the Peninsula premiere follows in June 2027.
The Winter Solstice Ceremony is planned to launch in November 2026, with the full event in Dromana in 2027.
Contact us to be notified when tickets or further public details are released, or if you would like to volunteer.
Register your interest — as a guest, volunteer, or partner — for the Peninsula’s new midwinter ceremony.
Contact our team