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July 10, 2024
Cherbourg’s annual NAIDOC Family Fun Day attracted a big crowd to the community’s Memorial Park on Tuesday morning.
Stalls from community groups lined the area opposite The Ration Shed, providing activities for children as well as offering items for sale and helpful information.
The 2024 NAIDOC theme is “Keep The Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”, and the emphasis was strong on passing on culture.
The Fun Day was also an opportunity for the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council to acknowledge contributions made by community members over the past 12 months (see awards, below).
Entertainment was provided by the Wakka Wakka Dancers (see gallery photos, below) as well as a live broadcast by Cherbourg Radio.
There were more NAIDOC activities in Cherbourg on Wednesday with a community breakfast at CRAICCHS and activities and a performance by the junior Wakka Wakka Dancers at Cherbourg State School.
On Thursday, the focus will shift to the Cherbourg Health Service where there will be food, music art and more dancing from 10:00am to 2:00pm.
There will also be a day of NAIDOC activities in Kingaroy’s Memorial Park from 10:00am to 2:00pm on Thursday with market stalls and entertainment.
Friday is a gazetted public holiday in Cherbourg so Cherbourg Council’s Containers for Change depots in Kingaroy, Cherbourg and Nanango will be closed on the day.
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Cherbourg Council NAIDOC Awards
Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council presented a number of awards to community members:
- Special Achievement Award: Iris Jean Blow – Iris was one of the first students to start at the Cherbourg Digital Service Centre and is a regional finalist in the upcoming Queensland Training Awards in Kingaroy.
- Special Achievement Award: Geoffrey Dowling – Geoffrey is the team leader at the Cherbourg Digital Service Centre and has completed his traineeship and Certificate III in Business at TAFE.
- Community Service Award: SkillCentred gang – For the work the crew have been doing cleaning up parks around the community.
- Special Acknowledgement Award: Daniel Cobbo – Daniel is a highly valued team member at the Cherbourg Community Health Service and has also been recognised for his work in suicide prevention.
- Sports Person In The Community: Elvie Saltner – Elvie has been excelling in her chosen sport of netball. She was recently selected in the Queensland Schoolgirls team and will be travelling to Melbourne to compete.
- Male Youth In The Community: Reuben Simpson – Reuben is a YAG member and has shown great leadership. He recently won a competition to meet the Prime Minister.
- Female Youth In The Community: Maureen Weazel – Maureen is an active member of YAG and does a wonderful job running the YAG shop.
- Person of the Community: Derek Gadd – Derek is the community supervisor at Skillcentred and leads his team with enthusiasm, and is an excellent role model for Cherbourg’s young men.
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2024 NAIDOC Theme
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Cherbourg Youth Advisory Group (YAG) member Maureen Weazel explained the 2024 NAIDOC theme:
This year’s theme, Blak, Loud and Proud, celebrates the enduring strength of Indigenous culture and calls for solidarity and unity.
It aims to amplify the voices that have been silenced and invites everyone to acknowledge, preserve and share the cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The theme empowers us to stand tall in our heritage, reclaims narrative and fosters a society where Indigenous wisdom and contribution are fully valued and respected.
Let’s work together to cherish and celebrate the oldest living culture in the world.
Thanks everyone for coming together to celebrate NAIDOC with our community.