NAIDOC Week Community Festival, Cronulla

Despite forecasts of rain, the sun shone on this year's NAIDOC Week Community Festival at Gunamatta Park, Cronulla, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements. The crowd of thousands of community members was noticeably larger than last year, contributing to the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere throughout the day.

A highlight of the day was the beautiful Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony which encouraged a sense of respect and gratitude.

The Sutherland Shire Reconciliation stall was a hive of activity, with many children enjoying our popular Coloured Threads activity. Many visitors were keen to learn more about Sutherland Shire Reconciliation and the work we do in our community.

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We were delighted to launch the new edition of our Dharawal Picture Dictionary, with positive feedback from visitors. Children can colour in the authentic traditional rock art used by the Dharawal speaking people of the Sutherland Shire over thousands of years, whilst reading and listening to the Dharawal words for local animals.

Thank you to Sutherland Shire Reconciliation members and volunteers for their enthusiastic efforts to have conversations with visitors about reconciliation. 

And thank you to Sutherland Shire Council and Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation for supporting such an important community event.

This year’s NAIDOC '50 Years of Deadly' celebration paid tribute to the people who built this movement, the Elders who stood strong, the organisers who carved out space, the artists who transformed resistance into expression, and the communities who continue to show up, decade after decade.