The origins of NAIDOC (the National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Committee) Week can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement. On Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney about the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. This protest was one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world and it became known as the “Day of Mourning”. Between 1940 and 1955 the Day of Mourning was held annually on the Sunday before Australia Day and was commonly known as “Aborigines Day”. In 1955 it was decided that Aborigines Day should include a celebration of Aboriginal culture, heritage and achievement. This is now celebrated as NAIDOC Week, highlighting the achievements of Indigenous people all over Australia and is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Read more about the history of NAIDOC Week
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.
Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.
Find out more about the journey towards Treaty and Truth-telling in the State of Victoria.
In 1967 the National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition began with the intention to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists aged 13 years and over to submit their artwork which reflects that year's National NAIDOC Week Theme. NAIDOC posters have been exhibited by various Australian cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Australia and reflect not only the many significant social changes that have occurred since 1967 but also evolution of art over the last 54 years.
In recent years, the National NAIDOC Week Poster competition winning artists have been afforded numerous opportunities to work with organisations such as the Australian Open, Microsoft, The Project television show and various state travel authorities that have wrapped public transport vehicles in the winning artwork. View NAIDOC Week posters from 1972 to the present
‘The 2024 National NAIDOC Poster incorporating the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag (licensed by the Torres Strait Island Council).’ The 2024 NAIDOC Poster is provided under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-N4 4.0).
Samuawgadhalgal, Torres Strait
'Urapun Muy', from the Kalaw Kawaw Ya dialect of the Top Western Islands of the Torres Strait, means 'One Fire'. The title of this work pays homage to Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people everywhere, as we all have that one fire: our passion for our culture.
"In this work, I have depicted the hands of our ancestors that have carefully dropped a burning ember on to a fire. This ember burns hot with intensity, stoking the flames, as it combines with the new fire. The linear detail shows the energy and power as cultural knowledge is transferred from our ancestors to us today. Culture is the fire that gives us knowledge, wisdom and purpose.
It is our responsibility to maintain, practice, and pass on our fire to our future generations.
Afterall, Culture keeps us Blak, Loud and Proud"
Informit: Indigenous scholars you should know
The following interviews with Indigenous Scholars You Should Know cast a spotlight on current Australian First Nations scholarship: highlighting emerging methodologies, reflecting upon experiences within academia, and unpacking some of the ideas informing these important projects. The diverse fields and varied career stages of the interviewees echo the breadth of outputs being produced by First Nations academics.
New scholars will be added regularly.
These Library subject guides are worth exploring for discovering resources and information around Indigenous Knowledge and First Nations peoples.
Explore the history of NAIDOC Week through the pages of Catalyst, RMIT University's student newspaper.
Begin with this special issue from 1987 focussing on 'Black Australia' and then explore the rest of the library's digitised collection.