07 Jul

NAIDOC Week 2025

Courtheath's blog
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NAIDOC Week 2025 marks 50 years of national celebrations recognising the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Held from 6 to 13 July, NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and to take part in local activities and events. The 2025 theme – 'The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy' – reflects this milestone year.

Says Aunty (Prof) Lynette Riley AO (Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi), Co-Chair National NAIDOC Committee:

“In 2025, we celebrate 50 years of NAIDOC Week, celebrating our cultures and teaching about our people’s histories and cultures. Each year, we select a theme to further develop greater understanding of our issues, in line with our Elders’ initial concepts for NAIDOC Week. The theme for 2025, ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy,’ focuses on our youth – future leaders in Culture, and all the social and political parameters we need their ongoing help with as we continue to fight for justice and equity in Australia. We want to highlight the amazing role our youth play in our futures. They are our strength, they provide our vision through their ongoing work with Elders in their own communities and they are responsible for future legacies.”

Honouring Leadership and Cultural Expression

An integral part of NAIDOC Week is the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony, which recognises the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across a range of fields. This year’s event was held in Boorloo (Perth) on Saturday, 5 July.

Award winners were:

  1. Person of the Year Award: Dr Daniel Hunt, a Jaru and Indjibarndi man, is both a General Practitioner and Dentist.
  2. Lifetime Achievement: Mr Michael Long, a proud Anmatjere and Marranunggu man, who is a “lifelong servant of his people and his country.”
  3. Female Elder Award: Aunty Rosalie Kickett, a proud Wilman, Beelya, Ballardong, Menang, Bibbulmen Nyoongar Nation Yok woman, “who has dedicated her life to empowering Aboriginal people, most recently incarcerated Aboriginal men.”
  4. Male Elder Award: Uncle Harry Phillip Hall, a proud Gomeroi and Euahlayi man, the “last remaining survivor from Walgett that assisted the Freedom Ride to overcome Racism that existed in the Walgett Aboriginal Community”, with more than 60 years employment in Indigenous affairs.
  5. Sportsperson Award: Danielle Ponter, a proud Marranunggu and Anmatjere woman, was “drafted by the Adelaide Football Club in 2018… She has since become a two-time premiership player and earned All-Australian honours…”
  6. Youth of the Year Award: Ms Anika Gosling, a proud Wadjuk Noongar woman from Perth, “holds a Bachelor’s degree, Honours, and a Master’s in Psychology, and currently works as a School Psychologist. In this role, she supports Aboriginal youth, focusing on enhancing their social and emotional wellbeing.”
  7. Creative Talent Award: Ms Christine Anu, is a proud Torres Strait Islander. She is one of Australia’s most celebrated music performers, and is a multi-ARIA and Deadly Award winner.
  8. Caring for Country and Culture Award: Wadjemup Project Steering Group, is an “advisory committee for Stage Two of the Wadjemup Project… an historic project to reconcile the history of Aboriginal people’s imprisonment on Wadjemup between 1838 and 1931.”
  9. Education Award: Professor Eddie Cubillo, a proud a Larrakia, Wadjigan, and Central Arrernte man from the Northern Territory. He is a “leading advocate for Indigenous justice… [serving as] Anti-Discrimination Commissioner of the NT, Executive Officer of NATSILS, and Director of Community Engagement for the NT Royal Commission.”
  10. Innovation Award: Blak Brews, a “100% Indigenous-owned Australian tea and coffee company founded by husband-and-wife duo Troy and Cerisa Benjamin.”

These awards highlight leadership, excellence, and the deep cultural knowledge and innovation that enriches Indigenous communities and the broader nation.

Historical Background

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and has its origins in early Aboriginal-led activism in the 20th century, when Indigenous leaders and organisations campaigned to raise awareness about the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In the 1920s and 1930s, organisations such as the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (formed in Sydney in 1924, and led by John Maynard) and the Australian Aborigines League advocated for recognition and rights, including through national boycotts and petitions. As described by NAIDOC, this activism was “sparked by Indigenous communities who saw a future built on justice and equality.”

A significant moment occurred on 26 January 1938, when more than a thousand people participated in the Day of Mourning in Sydney. The event marked the 150th anniversary of British colonisation and drew attention to its ongoing impact on Indigenous peoples. It included a protest march and a national congress, and is recognised as one of the earliest large-scale civil rights gatherings in the world.

Key developments since that time include:

  • 1940: Day of Mourning becomes Aborigines Day, observed annually.
  • 1955: Aborigines Day is moved from January to the first Sunday in July as both a protest and celebration of Aboriginal culture.
  • 1956: The National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) is established.
  • 1972: The Department of Aboriginal Affairs is formed following the 1967 referendum.
  • 1974: The NADOC committee becomes fully Aboriginal-led.
  • 1975: The event is extended to a full week.
  • 1984: A proposal is made for a national public holiday (not yet adopted).
  • 1991 – Present: NADOC is renamed NAIDOC, recognising Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture. This new name became the title for the whole week, not just the day.

According to the NAIDOC website: “The National NAIDOC Committee respectfully acknowledges the now defunct and inaccurate term 'Aborigines', whilst retaining the term in our title due to historic use by our Elders in establishing this week of commemoration in 1938. As at 1967 the ongoing registered title of the Committee became the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee.”

Looking to the future

Fifty years on, NAIDOC Week continues to grow. The 2025 theme acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who paved the way – those who spoke up, organised, and led – and looks ahead to the next generation who carry this work forward. This year also marks an important step in NAIDOC’s evolution, as the National NAIDOC Committee progresses toward greater independence, “embracing self-determination as a model for the next generation.”

“We celebrate not just a milestone, but a movement that endures, grows, and evolves – driven by the unwavering strength of our communities.” – Steven Satour, National NAIDOC Committee Co-Chair

How to Participate

NAIDOC Week is celebrated through local events across Australia. These include community festivals, school-based programs, art exhibitions, and cultural workshops. To find out what’s happening near you, visit the Local NAIDOC Week Events page.

Everyone is welcome to participate. Taking part may include attending a local event, reading about the history of NAIDOC, or learning more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culture, and achievements.

Resources

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CourtHeath acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to Elders past and present, and to the ongoing living culture of Aboriginal people.

A participant in the UN Global Compact, CourtHeath seeks to raise awareness about the sustainable development goals and the principles of the Global Compact with business and government organisations in Victoria.

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IMAGE: NAIDOC

Written by Wendy Cavenett

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Wendy Cavenett