Kingaroy State High School community education counsellor Toni Phillips-Petersen with students getting ready to dance for the large crowd in Memorial Park on Thursday
July 15, 2024
It was Kingaroy’s turn last Thursday to celebrate NAIDOC with a day full of activities in Memorial Park.
The event was organised by CRAICCHS, the local community-controlled health service, but also featured stalls by a number of local service providers.
However, the focus was on having fun and sharing culture.
A large crowd gathered to enjoy the entertainment, which included live music from Ground Crew.
The Wakka Wakka dancers from Cherbourg were as popular as ever, but there were also powerful performances by younger dancers from local schools.
The theme for this year’s NAIDOC is “Keep The Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud” – all about keeping culture alive and thriving.
Students from Kingaroy State High School kept the fire burning quite literally, performing a smoking ceremony that wafted the aroma of burning eucalyptus leaves across the crowd.
KSHS students also danced and assisted at the flag-raising ceremony, with Year 12 student Jarrod Murray playing the didgeridoo.
Kingaroy QAS officer-in-charge Mei-Lin Dean with Indigenous cadet paramedic Maud Alberts … Maud grew up in Cherbourg and this was her first week on the jobEdith Tom, from Kingaroy, was proud to raise the Torres Strait Islander flag at the flagpole ceremonyKaren Klimm-Richardson (St John’s Lutheran School), Annette Roderick (CRAICCHS) and Naz Little (Emerge Support)Kingaroy State High School students carried a billy of burning eucalypt leaves to bless the areaAt the flag-raising ceremony were Cr Linda Little, Lockie Anderson (Stanwell), Mayor Kathy Duff, Sam Little (CRAICCHS) and Andrew Toms (Stanwell) … Stanwell and the SBRC supported the NAIDOC celebrationIt’s been a busy NAIDOC for Cherbourg’s Wakka Wakka dancers who performed enthusiastically for the Kingaroy crowd in Memorial ParkGround Crew provided the musical entertainment and sang some Murri classics, including Mop and the Dropouts’ “Brisbane Blacks”
Year 12 student Jarrod Murray with his didj
Uncle Les Stewart with six-month-old Barbara
Uncle “Pop” Stanley was catching up with Uncle Robert ClancyAllira Fisher and Rosetta Harrison, from Cherbourg, were selling art and craftworks made by local artistsProud mum Toni Phillips-Petersen with daughter Bibi and son BryansenSenior Police Liaison Officer Roneece Cupitt, from Murgon, and QPS recruiting officer Katie McDougall were looking after the police displayKingaroy State School students paraded into the park carrying the school banner and First Nations flagsThe traditional music of the didgeridoo accompanied the Wakka Wakka dancersA large crowd watched the the Wakka Wakka dancers share cultureSome of the crowd relaxing on the lawn in Memorial Park on Thursday
