Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Projects and Events

On 13 February 2008 the Prime Minister of the day, Kevin Rudd, delivered a formal apology to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, especially those who lives were impacted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation, known as the Stolen Generations.

Each year communities across Australia commemorate this momentous event in different ways, such as screening the Apology in the workplace or at home with their families or community BBQ's and gatherings.

National Close the Gap Day is held on the 3rd Thursday in March each year, falling on 18 March this year.

The National Close the Gap Day campaign resulted from the Australian public support to improve the inequality in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and the broader population. The movement to improve these outcomes has shaped Government policy to address the gap.

National Close the Gap Day is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations with support from non-Aboriginal organisation health and advocacy organisations.

On the ANTaR National Close the Gap Day website you'll find more information and ideas on how you may like to run an activity.

Appin Massacre Memorial Service is an annual event held to remember the Dharawal people who were annihilated in a massacre in the Macarthur Region on 17 April 1816.

The massacre was a result of conflict between settlers and Aboriginal people which saw the majority of the local Dharawal people perish during confrontation with military forces at Appin on the 17 April 1816.

For more information, please contact:

• Council on 02 4645 4359 or email Council@campbelltown.nsw.gov.au
• Telephone Sister Kerry McDermott, Winga Myamly on 02 9605 1838

National Sorry Day is an Australia-wide observance held on 26 May each year. This day gives people the chance to come together and share a journey together towards healing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly for the Stolen Generations survivors. Stolen generations refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people forcibly removed from their families and communities due to past government policies and practices.

National Sorry Day event

Botanic Gardens and Centennial Parks along with Council and a range of agencies from across Macarthur hold an annual event to commemorate National Sorry Day at the Australian Botanic Gardens at Mount Annan on or close to the date of Sorry Day.

The 2023 Sorry Day event will be held on Friday 26 May - at the NSW National Herbarium at the gardens. The event will start at 10.30am with morning tea, performances and workshops. Guests are welcome to walk to the Stolen Generations Memorial for the official proceedings at 11.30am and lunch will be served at 12.30pm with the event concluding at 2pm. All community members from Macarthur, Wingecarribee and Liverpool areas are welcome to come together to commemorate Sorry Day.

For more information please visit Botanic Gardens website

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is celebrated across Australia annually between 27 May and 3 June. The dates commemorates two significant milestones in our nations reconciliation journey:

• the beginning of the week marks the anniversary of the successful 1967 referendum
• the end of the week marks the High Court Mabo decision.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements.

National Reconciliation Week events

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023 is Be a Voice for Generations.

The theme encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise. For the work of generations past, and the benefit of generations future, act today for a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all.

We encourage organisations, groups and families to celebrate and discuss Reconciliation.

More information and ideas on how to commit to and celebrate Reconciliation can be found on the Reconciliation Australia Website.

Each year, in the first full week of July, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and broader communities across the nation celebrate the biggest cultural event of the year, NAIDOC Week.

NAIDOC’s 2023 theme is “For Our Elders”

Join us during NAIDOC Week, this year held from 2 - 9 July 2023 and help us celebrate the history, culture and achievements at our NAIDOC week celebrations.

Everyone is invited to show your support for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of Campbelltown - there's a range of activities planned. The celebrations also includes an annual NAIDOC Touch football competition, hosted by Macquarie Fields Local Area Command and Campbelltown City Council at Benham Oval, Minto.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day held on 4 August every year is our national day dedicated to celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The day is a chance for us all to show our support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and learn about the importance of culture, family and community in the day to day life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child.

For more information on how you can participate or promote this important day visit National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day.

International Day of World's Indigenous People is celebrated every year on 9 August. There are around 476 indigenous people in world living in 90 countries. We celebrate Indigenous people on this day, each with their unique inherited cultural practices and connection to each other and the environment.

In December 1994 the United Nations General Assembly by resolution decided the International Day of the World's Indigenous People would be observed on 9 August every year.

We encourage you to celebrate this day with your workplace, your community or your family by creating indigenous inspired meals, highlighting an indigenous culture you have a connection to or know about and sharing it or by researching a couple of indigenous peoples and sharing what you've learned.

Don't forget that in Australia, we have the oldest living indigenous culture in the world.