Updates

Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2023

Queenslanders are invited to celebrate the histories, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as part of NAIDOC Week 2023 (2-9 July).

This year’s theme, For Our Elders, invites Queenslanders to reflect on the wisdom and teachings of Elders within the community and celebrate the oldest continuous living cultures in the world.

The winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition for 2023 is Bobbi Lockyer, a proud Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul and Yawuru artist, born and based on Kariyarra Country in Port Hedland, with her entry, For Our Elders.

As part of Queensland celebrations during the week, local landmarks, prominent buildings and public spaces will light up in the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

Events across Queensland, including 79 supported with grants from the Queensland Government, will coincide with other NAIDOC Week 2023 activities happening around Australia.

The National NAIDOC Week Awards was held in Brisbane, on 1 July, hosted by the National NAIDOC Committee and attended by 1800 enthusiastic community members.

The Brisbane NAIDOC Ball on 8 July will also be held in Brisbane, as well as community events and flag raising ceremonies, including the Musgrave Park Family Day on 7 July and the NAIDOC Wild Foods and Cultural Festival on 31 July.

For Our Elders was embraced through powerful stories shared by students as part of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation’s (QATSIF) Yarning With Our Elders Project.

Open to all Queensland First Nations secondary students, the competition celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders through creative means such as poetry, interviews, story, dance, songs, and art.

For more information about NAIDOC Week events in your area, visit the NAIDOC Week website.