NAIDOC celebrations head to Guyra

NAIDOC Week celebrations focus on Guyra this Friday, when Council holds a family day at the recreation ground from 11am to 2pm.

Traditional games, a free barbecue and live music by nationally acclaimed local band Terra Firma will feature at the family day and everyone is invited to get involved.

The Guyra celebration follows a well-attended NAIDOC Week event at the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place last Friday.

Around 300 people attended A Day in the Dale last week, held by Council in partnership with the cultural centre.

Participants learnt tool and basket making skills at workshops, children enjoyed a series of games and audiences were entertained by performances by Terra Firma and the Armidale Secondary College Deadly Dancers.

Cultural Centre Director Dr Daisy William said the centre was a proud partner of this year’s A Day in the Dale, bringing together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to celebrate this year’s NAIDOC Week theme, Voice. Treaty. Truth.

“It was fantastic to see many of our Aboriginal Elders come together for a morning tea to start the day,” Dr William said.

“They were then joined by other members of the community for a talk on leadership and a ‘yoga for seniors’ session, before hitting the dancefloor to music provided by Cyril Green Senior.”

Stallholders filled the centre’s new gallery space and were kept busy throughout the event, offering fun activities and informing visitors about services available to Aboriginal community members.

Council’s Aboriginal Community Development Officer, Cyril Green, said: “Everyone who got involved helped to make it a fun day but also highly informative with some serious messages about the welfare and voice of our community.

“We’re now hoping for a positive turn-out at the Guyra celebration to wrap up our NAIDOC Week activities for another year.”

Published on 09 Sep 2019