Organised by the Koorie Engagement Action Group and supported by the City of Ballarat, last year's inaugural ceremony was a haunting reflection on Australia's past.

According to a council media release, the event will begin at 5.30am, streamed from View Point at Lake Wendouree.

READ MORE: See what happened at last year's ceremony

"Due to COVID restrictions on public gatherings, the 2021 Survival Day Dawn Ceremony is a virtual event but KEAG is pleased to be able to take the ceremony into people's homes so that more community members can witness and feel part of the service," the release states.

"The dawn service commemorates Sovereign First Peoples who fought in the frontier wars and those who died in widespread massacres across Australia during colonisation, which began on January 26, 1788."

A recording of the event will be used for a documentary, made by Ballarat filmmakers Wind and Sky Productions, who are also inviting the public to submit behind the scenes videos and photos of people planning and livestreaming the ceremony from their homes.

Federation University's Aboriginal Education Centre manager Katrina Beer said the event is key to improving understanding.

"There's a lot of misunderstanding around the date, and what it means," she said.

"What we're hoping to do is turn it into a documentary for people who are unsure or want to learn more, that the documentary will provide the insight around why the date should be changed and the impacts of that on the Aboriginal community.

"And more importantly, it's understanding the Frontier Wars and the massacres that happened."

She said last year's event had a "deep impact" on attendees.

"It's important for people to know, from 1938, January 26 was set as the day of mourning and protest to create change for Aboriginal people," she said.

"We want to highlight perspectives from the actual community, that our history is your history, and the only way we can heal is through truth telling, and only through education can we change perspectives."

City of Ballarat mayor Daniel Moloney described the Dawn Survival Day ceremony as an incredibly special ceremony, acknowledging for many it was a day of mixed emotions, and for Aboriginal Australians, a day of profound hurt.

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"January 26 is a time to pause and reflect on what it means to live in this great land. It's a time to remember our history, the good and the bad," he said in a statement.

The media release notes council's citizenship ceremony will still be held on January 26, and a "new intercultural community event to promote understanding, respect, and reconciliation" will be held in 2022.

The livestream can be viewed via the following link https://bit.ly/2VZXBsA on the day

To get involved in the documentary, email lisacollins@ballarat.vic.gov.au

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