First week of July: NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
NAIDOC originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.
To find out more about the origins and history of NAIDOC Week, the dates, theme for the current year and planned events, visit the NAIDOC Week website.
23 July: Anniversary of the 2000 Reconciliation Walk
More than 20,000 Tasmanians took part in the Reconciliation Walk across Hobart's Tasman bridge in one of the state's largest ever public rallies.
Twenty years ago, in a monumental display of support for reconciliation, around 250,000 Australians walked across the Sydney harbour bridge. The People’s Walk for Reconciliation (as the bridge walk was titled), had a profound impact on those who participated, and a roll-on effect around the country. By the end of 2000, the walks for reconciliation held right across the country became the largest display of public support for a single cause in Australian history.
