NAIDOC
2026
July 1st, 2026
Images are from NAIDOC 2025: ‘Warami’ at Burramatta [Parramatta].
Warami (“Wah-ra-mee”) means “good to see you” in Dharug, and is the City of Parramatta’s annual “campaign” honouring traditional and contemporary First Nations culture, especially the People of Burramatta, who have been custodians of the area for about 60,000 years.
According to their website, “the campaign” highlights their “ongoing commitment to acknowledging, respecting, and elevating First Nations voices.”
The Burramatta NAIDOC outdoor festival is on Saturday 11 July.” – At Parramatta [further reading links at end]
WHAT IS NAIDOC?
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. The acronym originated with the committee responsible for organizing national events but over time it has become the commonly used name for the entire nationwide festival.
NAIDOC is a deliberate and defiant celebration of Culture and Country, history and truth. It is a beautiful “fuck you’ to the institutions that deride the message but ride the bandwagons when there’s money to be made. – SN
“The first seeds of what would become NAIDOC Week were planted by Indigenous activists, including William Cooper, Douglas Nicholls and Jack Pattern, who held a day of protest on January 26 1938, called the Day of Mourning, or the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet.
The protest, which included a march through Sydney, received significant media and public attention – prompting Prime Minister Joseph Lyons to meet with the leaders involved. The delegation gave Lyons a manifesto calling for citizenship rights for Aboriginal people.”
Senator Lidia Thorpe
What is NAIDOC Week?
“NAIDOC Week is marked across Australia every year, beginning on the first Sunday in July and finishing on the second Sunday.
A celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and peoples, it has grown to become one of the most important weeks on the Australian calendar.”
NAIDOC WEEK:
“This year marks a major milestone – 50 Years of Deadly! […] This year’s theme honours the generations who have carried the NAIDOC movement forward.” – NAIDOC
National NAIDOC Awards:
This year’s awards are on August 15th, 2016 in Mparntwe [pronounced M-ban tua], the traditional Aboriginal Arrernte name for Alice Springs.
“The National NAIDOC Week Awards Ceremony is held during NAIDOC Week each year.
It recognises the outstanding contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to improve the lives, of people in their communities and beyond, and to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues in the wider community.
The Awards Ceremony also seeks to recognise and celebrate those who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen field.”
National NAIDOC Poster competition
“This has become an iconic feature of National NAIDOC Week and has a rich and significant history, beginning in 1967 when the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) first began producing posters.
NAIDOC posters have been exhibited by various Australian cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Australia and reflect not only the many significant social changes that have occurred since 1967 but also the evolution of art over the years.” – view posters here, NAIDOC.
‘Paralpi’ by Zaachariaha Fielding.
Zaachariaha Fielding is a proud Yankunytjatjara man from the APY Lands in South Australia and is widely recognised as one of the country’s leading contemporary First Nations artists and musicians. Known internationally through the acclaimed music duo Electric Fields, his work brings together language, sound, visual storytelling and culture in deeply powerful and contemporary ways.
“Zaachariaha’s work speaks to movement, memory, culture and the enduring strength of our people across generations. Rich in story and symbolism, Paralpi celebrates the power of culture continuing to evolve while staying deeply connected to who we are.”
The 2026 National NAIDOC Week poster is available nationally in Kmart Australia and Target Australia stores, and downloadable via the NAIDOC Week website here.
Further reading:
1. Dharug Language [Wiki]
2. City of Parramatta history [Wiki]
3. First Nations Peoples Rights and the wrongs done to them. A Google search query.
4. The Day of Mourning: William Cooper, Douglas Nicholls and Jack Pattern [Monash Uni]
5. Senator Thorpe’s site.
6. NAIDOC posts on Instagram.
7. HISTORY TIMELINE OF NAIDOC
“1920 – 1930
Before the 1920s, Aboriginal rights groups boycotted Australia Day (26 January) in protest against the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians. By the 1920s, they were increasingly aware that the broader Australian public were largely ignorant of the boycotts. If the movement were to make progress, it would need to be active.
Several organisations emerged to fill this role, particularly the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (AAPA) in 1924 and the Australian Aborigines League (AAL) in 1932. Their efforts were largely overlooked, and due to police harassment, the AAPA abandoned their work in 1927.
In 1935, William Cooper, founder of the AAL, drafted a petition to send to King George V, asking for special Aboriginal electorates in Federal Parliament. The Australian Government believed that the petition fell outside its constitutional responsibilities.”
Several organisations emerged to fill this role, particularly the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (AAPA) in 1924 and the Australian Aborigines League (AAL) in 1932. Their efforts were largely overlooked, and due to police harassment, the AAPA abandoned their work in 1927.
In 1935, William Cooper, founder of the AAL, drafted a petition to send to King George V, asking for special Aboriginal electorates in Federal Parliament. The Australian Government believed that the petition fell outside its constitutional responsibilities.”
READ, LEARN AND DOWNLOAD at NAIDOC.org.au
