Kaayi (Hello – Awabakal)

Yaama Ngindaay (Hello everyone - Gamilaraay)

Nungamanladi (Hello - Bardi)

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The dates for National Reconciliation Week remain the same each year: 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey – the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision.

27 May – 1967 Referendum

On 27 May 1967, the Australian Government held a referendum. This was a momentous turning point in Australian history. The 1967 referendum altered the Australian Constitution.

More than 90 per cent of Australian voters chose ‘Yes’ to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the census and give the Australian Government the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

3 June: The Mabo decision

The Mabo decision was a legal case held in 1992. The legal decision was made by the High Court on 3 June 1992. The Mabo decision was named after Eddie Mabo, the man who challenged the Australian legal system and fought for recognition of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of their land.

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About the artwork  

In the 2025 theme artwork created by Kalkadoon woman Bree Buttenshaw, native plants − which are known for regenerating after fire and thriving through adversity − symbolise our collective strength and the possibilities of renewal. This is a time for growth, reflection, and commitment to walking together.

NATIONAL SORRY DAY 26^th May - the day before Reconciliation Week starts. This is the anniversary of the day that the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Federal Parliament in 1997. Every year on 26^th May, National Sorry Day remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’. We reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation. While this date carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is also commemorated by Australians right around the country.

(Information and artwork from Reconciliation Australia website, 2025) https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/

Why is Reconciliation important?

Reconciliation is an ongoing process to promote and facilitate respect, trust and positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

We see and hear in the media many accounts of injustice and racism in our country. Our important role as parents and teachers is to reinforce with our kids the dignity of each person and the right of everyone, no matter what their ethnicity or background, to feel included and respected and to stand up against racism in any form that it presents.

It’s important we have conversations with our kids about what we see, hear or experience that is not life-giving. All of us are made in the image and likeness of God and, as followers of Jesus we must be upstanders and not bystanders when we see and hear things that put others down.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership with us in advancing reconciliation. Please join us for our Prayer Service to commemorate Reconciliation Week.

Nginowa (Goodbye, see you later – in Awabakal)

Yaluu (Later – in Gamilaraay)