We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
NAIDOC Week is held between 4 and 11 July each year. NAIDOC 2021 theme is ‘Heal Country!’ – This year’s theme is Heal Country! to encapsulate how Country is inherent to our identity and to encourage the embrace of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ knowledge of the land to physically, socially, emotionally and culturally heal the country.
NAIDOC 2021 invites all Australians to embrace First Nation’s knowledge and understanding of Country.
What Does NAIDOC Mean?
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. Its name can be traced back to the early 1920s and the emergence of Aboriginal groups seeking to raise awareness about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ status and treatment in Australia. Today, the committee comprised of volunteers and is called National NAIDOC Committee (NNC).
A Short History of NAIDOC
NAIDOC week originates from The Day of Mourning, a protest first held on 26 January 1938 on the 150th anniversary of the first fleet marking the beginning of colonisation. The protest is considered to be one of the world’s first civil rights.
Between 1940 and 1955, The Day of Mourning was held annually on the Sunday before 26 January as an avowal for First Nation’s people to mourn the loss of their Country, freedom, self-determination, and the deaths of their kin. In 1955, The Day Mourning was moved to the first Sunday in July and by then widely known as Aborigines Day celebrating Aboriginal culture.
In 1956, National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) was formed. Due to the growing awareness and distinct cultural histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the committee became known as National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) in the early nineties shaping NAIDOC as we know it today.
NAIDOC became a week-long event in 1975, stretching from the first Sunday in July until the second.
How you can contribute
Each July, Australia celebrates the history, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through organising online and in-person events. There are a number of ways in which you can get involved and support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and help contribute to building a more reconciled nation for all Australians.
About Abergeldie
Abergeldie is a civil engineering contractor with over 25 years’ experience providing services in the utilities, energy and infrastructure sectors: the complex infrastructure needed to build better communities.
