July 5, 2017
The South Burnett Regional Council will be celebrating NAIDOC Week with a NAIDOC Family Fun Day this Thursday (July 6).
It will be the first NAIDOC celebration the Council has held since its formation in 2008, though it has lent its support to Cherbourg’s NAIDOC celebrations for several years.
It will also be the first NAIDOC Week celebration held in Kingaroy for almost a decade.
NAIDOC Week is held across Australia in the first full week of July each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples, and is recognised together by all Australians.
“I think that is great that during NAIDOC Week our Indigenous cultural heritage is being celebrated right across our region,” Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff said.
“Roughly 9 per cent of our population is Indigenous, and we’re lucky to have so much Indigenous culture on our doorstep.”
The Family Fun Day will be held in the Glendon Street forecourt from 10:00am.
The official part of the proceedings will occur at 11:00am, when Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Arnold Murray will deliver a Welcome to Country, followed by a traditional smoking ceremony.
These will be followed by a performance by the Wakka Wakka Dancers and Dreamtime Storytelling for children in the adjacent Kingaroy Library.
There will also be displays and demonstrations of Indigenous face painting and art.
A free sausage sizzle will be available, too, and Kingaroy Hospital’s Mobile Health Van will be on site to provide free health checks.
“It is important to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders throughout the year,” Mayor Keith Campbell said.
“However NAIDOC Week is a time to focus on not just our local indigenous community, but all indigenous communities throughout Australia.”
