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What is NAIDOC Week?
NAIDOC Week is more than a celebration —
it’s a recognition of survival, resistance and
resilience. While it’s now embraced by
communities nationwide, NAIDOC’s roots lie
in activism.
In the 1920s and ’30s, early Aboriginal rights
groups, including the Australian Aborigines
League, campaigned for equality and political
representation. In 1938, as Australia marked
its 150th anniversary of colonisation,
thousands of Aboriginal people staged a Day
of Mourning protest — one of the world’s first
major civil rights demonstrations. It was a
powerful act of defiance that paved the way
for the first Aborigines Day.
By the 1970s, support grew to expand the
event into a full week, and in 1991, Torres
Strait Islander peoples were formally
recognised in its scope, creating what we now
call NAIDOC Week.
Each year’s theme reflects key issues,
aspirations and calls to action for First Nations
communities.
2025 Theme: The Next Generation
