NAIDOC Week commences 6th July 2025 

This year NAIDOC theme is "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," it celebrates the past and future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors. This year marks a powerful milestone, 50 years of honouring indigenous voice, culture and resilience. 

‘Guided by the wisdom of our Elders and the groundwork laid by our forebears, each NAIDOC Week reinforces our vision for an Australia where Indigenous voices are not only heard but lead the way. 

This year, the National NAIDOC Committee takes an important step toward independence, embracing self-determination as a model for the next generation. With every story shared, every act of resilience remembered, and every cultural practice celebrated, we honour a legacy that reaches far into the past and extends into the future. As we celebrate this milestone, we look toward the next 50 years with excitement and confidence, while everyday ensuring that NAIDOC remains a movement grounded in community-led vision and integrity.’

https://www.naidoc.org.au/about/naidoc-theme 

‘NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. It's a week-long celebration held annually in July to acknowledge the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The origins of NAIDOC can be traced back to 1938, with the "Day of Mourning" protesting the 150th anniversary of the First Fleet. 

• NAIDOC Week evolved from the "Day of Mourning" protest in 1938, which was one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world.

The first Day of Mourning was a culmination of years of work by the Australian Aborigines League (AAL) and the Aborigines Progressive Association (APA). It would become the inspiration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. In the early 1960s, both organisations would reform and reshape and become the driving force calling for a constitutional referendum that would take place in 1967.

In 1957, with support and cooperation from federal and state governments, the churches and major Indigenous organisations, a National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) was formed, which continues to this day as NAIDOC.

The Australian Aborigines League was established in 1932 by William Cooper, a Yorta Yorta man and leader, who at age 71 took on the role of Honorary Secretary. The AAL membership included other prominent Aboriginal activists such as Margaret Tucker, Eric Onus and Shadrach James’

https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/day-of-mourning