NAIDOC Week celebrations 2013
Wingecarribee Shire Council and the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community will officially kick off NAIDOC Week celebrations with a flag raising ceremony at the Civic Centre in Moss Vale at 10am on Monday 8 July.
Members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony, which will be held outside the Civic Centre, before moving indoors to the Foyer Gallery and Theatrette.
The Foyer Gallery will showcase arts and crafts by the local Indigenous community and a DVD of the first Australians will be shown in the Theatrette. Morning tea and a light lunch will be provided.
“NAIDOC Week is one of this Shire’s most important annual events and one which this Council looks forward to each year,” Wingecarribee Shire Mayor, Councillor Juliet Arkwright said.
“It provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate our Indigenous culture as we continue to build an Australia that appreciates and reflects the achievements and aspirations of all our people.”
The theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week, which runs from 7 July to 14 July, is ‘We value the vision: Yirrkala Bark Petitions 1963’.
The theme proudly supports the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions to the Federal Parliament, which were the first traditional documents recognised by the Commonwealth Parliament and helped to shape the nation’s acknowledgement of Aboriginal people and their land rights.
Wingecarribee’s NAIDOC celebrations will continue through the week with a Family Fun Day at the Wingecarribee Aboriginal Community and Cultural Centre on Rainbow Road in Mittagong on Saturday 13 July from 10am.
Activities will include Boomerang painting, Dream time stories, Indigenous games, displays of artifacts, stalls and food.
The week will wrap up with the Regional NAIDOC Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with Wollongong, Kiama and Shellharbour Councils.
The Awards will be held at Bella Portofino Function Centre at 26 Atchison Street, Wollongong on Saturday 13 July 2013 at 7pm.
Tickets are $50 and are available from Shellharbour City Council by phoning (02) 4221 6111. Once purchased, they can be collected from Wingecarribee Shire Council.
For more information about Wingecarribee Shire Council’s NAIDOC Week program of events contact Council’s Aboriginal Liaison Officer on phone (02) 4868 0856.