Girl Guides Victoria was honoured to host the Kani-Karrung Australian Girl Guide Jamboree 2023 from 15-21 January 2023.
After years of planning and organising, we were delighted to welcome over 1,400 participants to Jamboree at the magnificent Victoria Park in Newington, Ballarat.
We laughed, danced, kayaked, climbed, painted, cycled, paddled, cooked, dragon-boated, crafted, adventured, caved, badge-swapped, flew, surfed, hiked and sang our way through an unforgettable week.
Our 14+ participants experienced a range of incredible overnight Expedition adventures across the region and state, and our younger participants took part in a diverse range of stream activities.
We were delighted to share our Jamboree fun with their Excellencies, The Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, who joined our participants for a canoe on the beautiful Lake Wendouree.
At a spectacular Closing Ceremony at the end of the week, Girl Guides Australia Chief Commissioner Rosemary Derwin congratulated the Victorian organising committee on delivering Jamboree 2023 and revealed the next Australian Guide Jamboree will be held in Northern New South Wales in September 2025.
“You have got a little while to rest, and catch up on sleep, and build your camping experience, because where is our next Jamboree going to be held and when? When we are next going to gather together again under this Southern Cross as Girl Guiding sisters? … We’re off to New South Wales! … September 2025 … you don’t have long to wait!”
“We are going to head to an amazing part of New South Wales where there are lots of outdoor activities and lots of ways to engage and connect with each other again, making new friends and keeping everyone that you’ve made friends with as well,” said Girl Guides New South Wales, ACT & NT State Commissioner Emily Milton-Smith.
“Thank you so much to the Victorian leadership for putting on such an amazing event and see you in Northern NSW September 2025!”
Jamboree Leader-in-Charge Helen Reid told participants “It’s been so exciting to have the Jamboree here in Victoria, it took a few more years than we thought to get down here and actually have our Jamboree, and we are so excited to be able to then pass it on to New South Wales.”
We know the memories made and the friendships forged at Kani-Karrung Jamboree 2023 will last forever, and we can’t wait for the next Jamboree in 2025!
Thank you to Jamboree Leader-in-Charge Helen Reid, our hard-working planning team and volunteers, the many wonderful organisations and providers who supported the event, and of course, all the Guides and Leaders from across Australia who made Jamboree 2023 a week to remember!
For more photos, visit the Jamboree Facebook page.
Wanting to adopt Pebbles, the Jamboree Mascot? Limited stock available here.