Yaama Ngindaay! (Hello everyone)

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

2020 National NAIDOC Poster

Tyrown Waigana, a Perth based artist and designer, and Noongar and Saibai Islander man has been named as this year’s winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC Poster Competition.

His winning entry - Shape of Land - was judged by the National NAIDOC Committee to have best illustrated the 2020 NAIDOC theme: Always Was Always Will Be, which recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. 

Tyrown’s passion for art and design began at an early age and his goal is to make a living of being an artist and take on exciting new creative projects.

Shape of Land description:

• The Rainbow Serpent came out of the Dreaming to create this land. It is represented by the snake and it forms the shape of Australia, which symbolises how it created our lands.
• The colour from the Rainbow Serpent is reflected on to the figure to display our connection to the Rainbow Serpent, thus our connection to country. The overlapping colours on the outside is the Dreaming.
• The figure inside the shape of Australia is a representation of Indigenous Australians showing that this country - since the dawn of time - Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land.

Due to current CoVid restrictions we have to acknowledge and celebrate NAIDOC Week a little differently this year, however the learning and activities we have planned will be very educational and meaningful.

Wednesday 11 November – Learning and Discovery

Mr Taylor will visit each room to lead a Prayer Service, talk about NAIDOC Week and share a short story or video.