On October 1st 2024, hundreds of people came together in the local town of Warrawong to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the NAIDOC Family Fun Day, while making connections with residents, local organisations and services.
The National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) holds an annual event across the country between 7-14 July, this year will be the 50th anniversary of the event, aiming to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Earlier this year, the Albanese Government invested $1.7 million in grants to help support local communities and organisations to celebrate 2024 NAIDOC Week, which has helped the event this year be better than the last.
This year’s NAIDOC’s theme, “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”, reflects the unyielding spirit of local communities and invites everyone to stand together in solidarity, by amplifying the voices that have long been silenced.
NAIDOC Committee Co-Chair, Steven Satour, discusses the thought process behind this years theme, aimed to celebrate resilience and strength among the Indigenous community.
“Blak, Loud, and Proud, encapsulates the unapologetic celebration of Indigenous identity, empowering us to stand tall in our heritage and assert our place in the modern world,”
“This theme calls for a reclamation of our narratives, an amplification of our voices, and an unwavering commitment to justice and equality.” said Steven.
The Warrawong community has been hosting a local family fun day for the community to come together, since 2013, to honour the message and essence of NAIDOC Day.
Each year reflecting a different theme, the family fun day is able to bring together culture and community on local land where families are offered the opportunity to consume traditional foods, dance, celebrate, and connect with their culture.
Student Employability and Engagement Coordinator from the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre at the University of Wollongong, Taylah Warren, comments on how the event promotes engagement from the entire community as a whole as everyone tries their best to come along.
“I think it’s good that every year, we know that this is something that we can come together as a community and we are all coming together to celebrate culture.” said Taylah.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NAIDOC Day this year, the National NAIDOC Committee has released a special collectible 50 cent-coin that was designed by contemporary digital artist Cortney Glass. The collectible coin features symbols that represent the National NAIDOC Committee coming together in collaboration with the First Nation people, with their deep connection to the land, culture and community.
