NAIDOC in the Blue Mountains

The 2018 National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration (NAIDOC) in the Mountains will see Blue Mountains City Council, the Aboriginal Advisory Council and the Blue Mountains Aboriginal Culture and Resource Centre (ACRC) host a range of events from for the duration of July. 

NAIDOC week, 8-15 July, celebrates and highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s culture, history and achievements. NAIDOC is an opportunity for all Australians to come together with Aboriginal communities, providing the chance for the broader community to gain a better understanding and appreciation of local Aboriginal culture.

The 2018 theme 'Because of Her, We Can!' focuses on the significant role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have played – and continue to play – at the community, local, state and national levels.

These pillars of our society are leaders, trailblazers, politicians, activists and social change advocates. They are our mothers, our elders, our grandmothers, our aunties, our sisters and our daughters. 

Their achievements, their voice, their unwavering passion give us strength and have empowered past generations and paved the way for generations to come.

For at least 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried dreaming stories, songlines, languages and knowledge that have kept the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture strong.

Blue Mountains NAIDOC events will be launched on Monday 9 July from 9am with the local NAIDOC Awards and annual NAIDOC Flag Raising Ceremony at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, Katoomba. Other events include:

6 July – Celebrate the opening of John South: Skyworld, an exhibition exploring Aboriginal Astronomy through film and installation 7 July – Public Programs and Cultural events running throughout the day at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre including John South’s art installation RHIZOME; sit with Uncle Lex Dadd and learn about Darug history; a tribute to Indigenous art and culture with an ART+SOUL documentary and an evening of stargazing.  8 July – Q&A and conversation between artist John South (Barkindji) and Dr Duane Hamacher, an astronomer and Senior Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre Melbourne, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. 9 July– Aboriginal Culture Learning: A Family Workshop, 2-3pm, Sharon Burridge Hall, Blaxland Community Centre, 33 Hope Street Blaxland. 12 July –  Aboriginal Culture Learning: A Family Workshop, 10.30-11.30am, Katoomba Library 14 July – NAIDOC Aboriginal Community Day in ‘The Gully’, 11am – 2pm 20 July – Opening event for the NAIDOC Aboriginal Community Art Festival, 6.30pm 21 & 22 July – NAIDOC Aboriginal Community Art Festival,10am-4pm 27 July – Annual Blue Mountains NAIDOC Ball, contact ACRC 4782 6569 for tickets

Full details of NAIDOC events are available at www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/naidoc  or to find out how you can get involved contact Brad Moore on 4780 5000 or [email protected]  or Wayne Cornish on 4782 6569 or [email protected].