NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July 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 originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself. To find out more about the origins of NAIDOC Week, visit NAIDOC history.
Each year, a different city hosts the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony and Ball. The host city, National NAIDOC Poster Competition and the NAIDOC Awards winners are selected by the National NAIDOC Committee.
Local community celebrations during NAIDOC Week are encouraged and often organised by communities, government agencies, local councils, schools and workplaces.
Have you thought about organising a NAIDOC event in your area? Here are a few suggestions about how you can celebrate NAIDOC.
Please note that permission is not required to fly either the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander flag. However, if you want to reproduce either flag (for example, on a flyer or poster), you will need to seek permission. More information about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags including contact details to gain permissions is available on this site.
For many years, the Australian Government has supported national NAIDOC celebrations as well as providing grants through.Indigenous Coordination Centres (ICCs) to fund local celebrations.
Wherever you live, you can take part in NAIDOC Week celebrations. To find out about NAIDOC Week activities in your area, contact your nearest ICC on free call 1800 079 098, except Nhulunbuy (1800 089 148), Kalgoorlie (1800 193 357) and Kununurra (1800 193 348).