July 3, 2017
NAIDOC Week kicked off on Sunday (July 2) and this year celebrations will be held in Kingaroy, Murgon and Wondai as well as Cherbourg.
NAIDOC Week is held across Australia every July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The word “NAIDOC” originally stood for “National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee”. This committee formerly organised national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.
The theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week is “Our Languages Matter” – a reflection on the disappearance of more than half of all Indigenous languages, and the national effort that is now being put in to save those that remain for future generations.
Cherbourg will start the week on Monday with a NAIDOC Awards ceremony, which will recognise outstanding community members.
It will be held in the grounds of the Ration Shed Museum, kicking off around 10:30am.
Awards will be given for Apprentice of the Year, Artist of the Year, Musician of the Year, Youth of the Year and NAIDOC Person of the Year.
The award presentations will be followed by a family fun day with lots of activities to keep young children amused, such as boomerang painting, bead making and a jumping castle.
But for those who can’t make it to Cherbourg, the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service will be celebrating NAIDOC Week as well with their own function in Lamb Street, Murgon between 10:00am and noon.
On Tuesday, the celebrations will continue at the Ration Shed and Cherbourg Hospital, and all South Burnett residents are invited to attend.
The Ration Shed will be holding its annual Community Open Day celebrations from 10:00am – a fun, free event that features a free barbecue, weaving, music, film screenings and cultural dancing.
At Cherbourg Hospital, meanwhile, community health organisations will set up information stands between 10:00am and 2:00pm.
On Wednesday, the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service will bring NAIDOC week to Kingaroy Hospital between 10:00am and noon.
And on Thursday, Kingaroy’s NAIDOC Week will be held in the Glendon Street forecourt from 10:00am.
Cherbourg Mayor Arnold Murray will deliver a welcome to country and there will be a smoking ceremony.
This will be followed by performances from the Wakka Wakka Dancers, indigenous face painting and indigenous art demonstrations, as well as dreamtime story telling in the library.
There’ll also be food and drinks available, and the Kingaroy Mobile Health Van will be on site too.
After the celebrations, Mayor Murray and his fellow councillors will meet with the South Burnett Regional Council to discuss issues of shared interest between the two shires.
For those who can’t make it to Kingaroy, though, the DDHHS will be holding its final NAIDOC Week event at the Wondai Hospital between 10:00am and noon.
