Celebrate NAIDOC Week
01
Jul
09
Jul
For Our Elders

Celebrate NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC week is a chance for Australians to come together and learn more about each other’s culture.
When
Saturday,
01 Jul 2023
Sunday,
09 Jul 2023

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year to celebrate and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It presents an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories, and to participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living culture on earth.

This year at Darling Harbour, we're celebrating a little early with NAIDOC themed fireworks, Welcome to Country smoking ceremony, and First Nations DJs on Saturday July 1, and a week long photo exhibition of established, emerging and aspiring artists at Darling Quarter. 

What's On

2023 NAIDOC Theme

This NAIDOC Week's theme - For Our Elders - is an appeal to pay our respects and pay homage to the Elders we’ve lost and to those who continue fighting across all Nations. Across every generation, Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in communities and families. They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones.

The Canopy

Learn about the Wangal and Gadigal clans who have cared for the land that Darling Harbour is built upon, through the eyes of Aboriginal Artist, Jacob Nash at the site of his work, Canopy.

Portrait of Jenny Munro

Jenny Munro is an Australian legend. As a Wiradjuri Elder, she’s been at the forefront of activism for the rights of Aboriginal Australians for several decades now. Next time you’re wandering around Darling Square keep an eye out for her. You just might spot a gorgeously rendered 10 story high mural of her face painted on the side of the Novotel building.

Cockle Bay's First Nations Heritage

Discover the history of Cockle Bay, once a bountiful treasure trove for the Gadigal people, and how it weaves into the modern-day Darling Harbour

ONLINE EXPERIENCES

Deepen your understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture by enjoying cultural experiences at the Maritime Museum, learning one of the oldest languages in the world or by taking a virtual tour or watching a film on the history of the Gadigal Aboriginal people.

Celebrate NAIDOC Week with guided virtual tours
Take a virtual tour from expert guides who will tell the real history of the Gadigal Aboriginal people.
Find out more
Learn one of the oldest languages in the world

Teach yourself the basics of a variety of Aboriginal languages with these downloadable language sheets. Ever wondered how someone said hello 65,000 years ago? Learn the basics of the revitalised languages of the First Nations of Australia with these downloadable resources.

Download the language sheet
Aboriginal Film Occupation: Native

Occupation: Native is an Aboriginal Film that aims to engage all Australians in a national conversation about Australian history and what has been missing from our history books.

Watch Now